Mizoram government increases tax on all vehicles
Aizawl: The Mizoram government has raised the tax on all vehicles and fixed it at six per cent of the cost with a compulsory payment of life-time (15 years) payment. A notification issued by the state transport department said that the six per cent tax would be payable on ex-showroom rate (before payment of the value added tax). The decision follows the instructions of the Centre’s Transport Development Council to all states to implement the new tax regime at the rate of minimum six per cent of the rate of vehicle. Mizoram assembly has already amended the Mizoram Vehicles Taxation Act, 1995 last year authorising the state government to hike the tax on vehicles. The state government also revised and hiked the passengers and goods tax for which the notification was issued on Monday. (PTI)
Assam to have new scheme for petty traders, milkmen and vendors
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday said the state government is mulling a new scheme for vegetable vendors, milkman and petty traders by providing necessary infrastructure to them to carry out their businesses. “The new scheme will focus on diary, poultry and horticulture,” he said amd will be taken up soon to provide the necessary infrastructure to vegetable vendors, milkmen and petty traders, who have been contributing to the state’s economy in no small measure. The Chief Minister directed the Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political) MGVK Bhanu to initiate necessary steps in this regard. He also directed the police administration not to stop the vegetable vendors, milkmen and petty traders from carrying out their businesses in the city. Gogoi also asked the concerned department to start the process immediately for setting up a Diary Science College to boost the diary sector in a big way. (PTI)
Hardcore NDFB (S) militant killed in gun-battle
Guwahati: A ‘second-in-charge’ of NDFB (Songbijit) was killed in an encounter with a joint team of police and army early on Monday morning at Runikhata area of Kokrajhar district of Assam, a senior police official said. The operation that began late last night was carried out by a joint team of police and 7 Sikh LI (Light Infantry) in Ranipur area under Runikhata police station area, IGP L R Bishnoi told PTI. At about 3 am today the personnel came across the NDFB(S) militant Uday Narzary, the second-in-charge of Serfanguri zone, who was sheltered in the jungle patch adjoining Ranipur village and he died of bullet injuries, Bishnoi said. The extremist was also known as N Udang alias Khulikhang of Edenbari in Runikhata. One AK-56 rifle along with 9 rounds of ammunition were recovered from his possession, Bishnoi added. (PTI)
Assam Rifles nabs arms peddler in Nagaland
Kohima: The troops of 32 Assam Rifles arrested one arms peddlers along the Nagaland-Assam inter-state boundary and recovered arms from his him. In a release here, Inspector General of Assam Rifles (IGAR-North) on Monday said based on specific information about the presence of an arms peddler in general area near Nagaland gate, troops of 32 Assam Rifles under aegis of 6 Sector of the Assam Rifles deployed surveillance elements in the area to track the individual and intercepted him at Nui colony on friday last. On thorough search, he was found to be in possession of illegal and unauthorised arms and was consequently apprehended. The apprehended individual is a resident Karbi Anglong district of Assam. One pistol .32 (country made) along with two magazines were recovered from the individual.The apprehended individual along with the recovered weapon was handed over to East police station, Dimapur for further investigation, the release said. (UNI)
245 villages including 86 from Assam electrified in first week of Feb
New Delhi: As many as 245 villages in five states, including Assam and Odisha, were electrified in the first week of February, according to the Union Power Ministry. Of the 245 newly electrified villages, 82 are in Assam, 77 in Odisha, 69 in Jharkhand, 13 in Chhattisgarh and 2 each in Trupura and Madhya Pradesh. The NDA government has targeted to electrify 18,452 villages by May 1, 2018, starting from August 15, 2015. Against that, 5027 villages have so far been electrified in the current fiscal so far. Out of remaining 13,425 villages, 10,487 villages are to be electrified through grid, 1997 villages through off- grid where grid solutions are out of reach due to geographical barriers and 941 villages by state governments on their own. Some1,654 villages were electrified during April-Aug 2015 and after taking initiative by Government of India for taking it on mission mode, 3373 additional villages have been electrified from thereafter. (UNI)
Arunachal guv visits state guest house and DRC office
Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor J P Rajkhowa, who is in Guwahati on an official tour, paid a surprise visit to the State Guest House at Khanapara, which is under renovation on Sunday. The governor, who was accompanied by deputy resident commissioner D J Borah and other officials posted there for liaisoning and coordination, expressed dissatisfaction on the arrangements made so far. While emphasizing the importance of the facility at Guwahati, which is the Gateway of North East region, Rajkhowa said that it should cater to the need of the common people of the state, who mostly come for medical or educational related issues, a Raj Bhawan communiqué informed here today. “The project should be expedited and completed within the time frame and also with adequate amenities,” he added. The governor directed the concerned officials for regular inspections and monitoring and details should be sent to Raj Bhavan regularly. At the same, he assured all assistance to address the bottlenecks in progress of the project. Later the governor also visited the Deputy Resident Commissioner’s Office, Guwahati and found it in a very shabby condition. He directed the DRC to refurbish the office immediately. Rajkhowa said that the office is the epicentre of coordination and liaison as many tourists and guests come for inner line permits, the communiqué added. (PTI)
