Mizoram residents threaten Assam dwellers
GUWAHATI: Reports of some miscreants, allegedly belonging to bordering Kolasib district of Mizoram, threatening residents of Hailakandi living inside Assam’s territory to leave the area or face dire consequences have raised concern for Hailakandi district administration. Hailakandi District Magistrate Adil Khan has asked his Kolasib counterpart to take precautionary measures in this regard. “We have received information that some miscreants from Mizoram side have threatened the residents of Hailakandi living inside Assam’s territory to leave the area or face dire consequences,” said Khan. Khan asked his counterpart to take necessary action to avoid any untoward incident along the inter-state border. (UNI)
44th foundation day of Manipur Press Club observed
IMPHAL: Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar on Sunday said that the media has a great role to play in promoting good governance in the state. He made the statement at the 44th Foundation Day of Manipur Press Club organised by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) at the club. Th. Shyamkumar said that the aspects of good governance are facilitated by a strong and independent mediascape within a society. He opined that only when journalists are free to monitor, investigate and criticise the public administration’s policies and actions, good governance take hold. He further suggested that all the journalists in the state must follow the basic principles of journalism which is to follow a balanced reporting taking accounts and feedbacks of all the stakeholders rather than reporting a one-sided story. As media often highlights the problems and flaws of the Government likewise it should also highlight the good work and journalists must do reporting from the interior parts of the State for effective implementation of the various welfare schemes and programmes. (UNI)
8000 patients treated by Lifeline Express in remote Tripura
CHURAIBAR: Lifeline Express attended to 8,000 cases over the past 20 days in remote Tripura. Lifeline Express is a hospital train that travels to inaccessible rural areas where medical services are limited. Set up by NGO Impact India Foundation and Indian Railways and Ministry of Health in 1991, the express train has conducted 199 heath camps in different parts of the country since its inauguration. Anil Premsagar, the joint director of the hospital train, said 1200 patients have undergone cataract operation in the first two days. “We started functioning since December 18 here and opened two outpatient departments with 20 permanent staff, including doctors from Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore. More than 900 cancer victims and equal number of patients suffering from dental problems were treated in 17 days,” he said. Jagadish Chandra Nama, the chief medical officer (CMO) of North Tripura district, said the state health department provided 11 personnel for assisting the Lifeline Express. “We set up a makeshift hostel and a hospital for the patients and provided them with ambulances and food supplies,” he added. (PTI)
Cops hunt for teacher for abusive social media comment
AGARTALA: Police have launched a search for a teacher for allegedly posting derogatory remarks against BJP leaders on social media in Kailashahar of Unokoti district in North Tripura. The teacher has been identified as Asim Deb, a hardcore Left supporter engaged in posting derogatory remarks against the leaders of the ruling party just after the downfall of Left Front government using fake profile. Recently, he posted some remarks against one leader, for which FIR was lodged and police raided his house but could not trace him out. A similar complaint has been registered against another school teacher of the district for an abusive comment in Facebook targeting chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on his recent article published in the most circulated vernacular daily here. (UNI)
Tripura demands one crore addl mandays under MGNREGS
AGARTALA: Tripura government has demanded one crore additional mandays under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) after providing average job of 34 days so far with the sanctioned Rs two crore labour budget in the past eight months. Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma said that initially there was a deadlock in MGNREGS in the state because of non-compliance of the central government guidelines and not taking action against the accused persons of large scale corruption of fund. “It took two months to rectify the administrative loopholes committed by previous Left Front government and finally me along with chief minister had to hold meeting with the union minister and officers to resume the work under MGNREGS,” Dev Varma said. He stated that the state government had submitted a proposal to Ministry of Rural Development last week demanding additional one crore mandays in this financial year, as the total labour budget allotted for the year is already exhausted and average 34 mandays is generated so far. (UNI)
7 KVs to be opened soon, Javadekar assures Arunachal
Itanagar: Union minister Prakash Javadekar has assured the Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra that seven proposed Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) in the state would be opened this financial year, an official release said on Sunday. The Union human resource development minister gave the assurance when the governor called on him in New Delhi and discussed issues regarding education in the state on Saturday. Javadekar said the seven KVs would be opened within this financial year and the requisite cabinet proposal will be moved shortly. The proposed KVs are in Kurung Kumey, Dibang Valley, Namsai, Upper Subansiri, Anjaw, West Siang and Upper Siang districts. Mishra requested the minister for three Navodaya Vidyalayas for the three newly created districts of Shi Yomi, Lepa Rada and Pakke Kessang and Javadekar assured him that the proposal would be moved in the next Cabinet meeting, the release said. (PTI)