From Our Correspondent

 Guwahati: Given the huge volume of pending cases related to suspected illegal migrants, the Gauhati High Court in a verdict has asked the Assam government to set up more foreigners’ tribunals with better infrastructure to ensure speedy disposal of such cases.

A three-member Bench of the High Court comprising Justice BP Kotoky, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice AK Goswami issued the directive to the State government while giving its verdict in a case related to illegal migrants issue.

The High Court in its verdict mentioned that the existing 36 foreigners tribunals in the State were not at all sufficient to handle pending 2,37,631 cases. The verdict states that it was the duty of the government to ensure disposal of such cases so that illegal migrants can be deported from the country at the earliest.

The High Court also expressed its surprise that the Central Government was yet to facilitate setting up of 64 additional foreigners’ tribunals in the State though the proposal was submitted by the Assam Government in September, 2012.

The court pointed out that given the huge volume of pending cases even the additional 64 tribunals will not be sufficient and the State government needed to set up more numbers of tribunals.

The court observed that the existing practice of issuing notice to suspected foreign nationals through local police is not effective enough and the tribunals should have officials to discharge the job.

Stating that presiding officers of many foreigners’ tribunals were not adequately trained to discharge their responsibility, the court asked the State Government to look into the matter and take remedial steps.

The High Court has further directed the State Government to set up a high-level selection committee to select members of foreigners’ tribunals. It further directed Assam to keep detected illegal migrants in detention camps till they are deported from the country.

Alleged illegal immigration from Bangladesh has been a major concern in Assam an dthreatened to drastically change the demography of the State.

From Our Correspondent

 AGARTALA: Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath on Saturday said the new government would be constituted in Tripura well before expiry of tenure of the present one.

Dispelling all doubts centering timely election, Sampath who arrived here on a whirlwind visit to review the election arrangement, told media that it is a constitutional mandate to constitute the new government before tenure of the present government comes to an end.

Sampath said the Election Commission reviewed preparedness for the Tripura Assembly polls and is fully satisfied with the functioning of the election machinery in the state. However, he did not spell out the election schedule despite giving ample indication that the Assembly elections will be held well before March 16, the expiry date of the present Assembly.

Sampath said that the DMs and SPs were asked to act with full integrity and neutrally to ensure free and fair elections.

“Officials responsible for holding election were asked to take all possible measure to conduct a credible election. Any deviation on the duty will be dealt with severely”, he said.

On the meeting of political parties, the CEC said, “The meeting was good and fruitful and they assured full cooperation to hold a credible election. We received some complaints from political parties in course of meeting and will certainly look into the matter”.

Sampath also assured that sufficient security forces would be deployed during the election enabling voters to cast their votes without fear.

On the doubt over use of EVMs, the CEC said the Election Commission had introduced additional security to EVMs to dispel the the fear. “First level checking and mock drill at polling stations will be carried out to end the unnecessary doubt”, he added. (With inouts from PTI)

PTI adds from Kohima

EC satisfied with poll preparedness in Nagaland

The Election Commission has expressed satisfaction over poll preparedness in Nagaland where Assembly election is due in March.

A full bench of the Election Commission was in the state for the past two days to assess its poll preparation.

After holding discussions with state civil and police officials at Dimapur, Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath told newsmen that 95 per cent of Photo Electoral Roll had been completed in the state. He instructed the election officials to complete the remaining five per cent work before the coming Assembly election. The CEC said like in other parts of the country, expenditure monitoring during electioneering would be implemented in Nagaland to curb the practice of money power in elections. A comprehensive set of instructions, he said, has been given to the state election department for expenditure monitoring. Similarly, political parties and their candidates along with agents would be sensitised on this aspect through special workshops.

The tenure of the present Nagaland Assembly expires on March 18.

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Saturdayappealed to the Wancho community to make insurgency-hit Longding a model district of the state by adopting double cropping considering its huge agri-horticultre potentials.

“Double cropping by availing the benefits under CM’s Agriculture Mechanical Programme that offers 50 per cent subsidy for procuring agri appliances and financial aid to take up tea and rubber cultivation to generate employment is the only panacea to boost rural economy and make Longding a model district,” Tuki told a public meeting at Lawnu.The booming population could be fed through double cropping by making best utilization of the land, which, Tuki said, would herald an era of new economic development as rice, millet, maize, battle nuts were grown plenty in the district.

With the commitment to make administration available at the doorsteps of the people in his land-locked hilly state, Tuki inaugurated Lawnu, the sixth circle of the newly created Longding district. Longding, the 17th district of the state was inaugurated by the chief minister on March 19 last year, carving out of Tirap district with Kanubari, Longding, Pongchao, Wakka and Pumao circles with a population of around 70,000.

After declaring the new circle open to benefit about 5,000 local denizens, Tuke said the UPA government’s flagship programmes and PM’s package for the double-lane Trans-Arunachal Highway would bring a sea change by linking 11 district headquarters of the state.

Referring to the Vission-2013 he unveiled yesterday at Itanagar to accelerate state’s all-round development, Tuki said the programmes and policies of his government were inclusive for growth of all sections without any discrimination.

The CM also sanctioned Rs 50 lakh each for developing the new helipad and constructing an inspection bungalow. (PTI)

Guwahati: Members of the All Assam Association of the Deaf staged a demonstration here on Saturday to protest against the rape of a mentally challenged woman allegedly by CRPF men in Assam’s North Lakhimpur district.

The protesters wore pieces of black cloth across their mouths and held placards demanding capital punishment for the culprits. Banners and placards said ‘We are ashamed to speak, hang the culprits to death’, ‘Save our generation from the hands of rapists’, ‘We all deaf people demand justice’, ‘We demand control of atrocities against women’, ‘Provide medical care and rehabilitate rape victims’.

The protest was triggered by an incident in North Lakhimpur, when two CRPF personnel allegedly raped a mentally challenged woman in Chaulduwa area in Lakhimpur town, on January 3.

Assam was jolted by two rape incidents which happened on the same day- January 3, including one in which a married woman was raped allegedly by Baksa district Congress committee chairman Bikram Singh Brahma in neighbouring Chirang district. (PTI)

Agartala: The 8-year old daughter of the Rangapania village rape victim, Antara, has been virtually orphaned for the last 20 days after her mother was taken to an unknown destination for her safety whereas her father landed in jail for his involvement in the rape incident.

Antara is the eye-witness of the torture met out to her mother by a group of people, including women, on December 17 last with the indulgence of her father Samir Kar.

Antara has been promoted to Class III with good marks but she does not dare to go to school or meet her friends due to fear of being attacked.

Antara’s mother was gang-raped in Rangapania village of Bishalgarh in western Tripura and later stripped naked , tied to a tree and beaten up brutally.

“There is nobody now to take care of her even as her maternal family runs from pillar to post to get justice for her mother,” said Rekha Sarkar, neighbour of the victim’s family.

“Criminals are also threatening them (the maternal family) regularly,” she added.

“My father was not at home when the miscreants attacked my mother. I informed the police in nearby camp and she was rescued but after returning home my father again tortured my mother,” rued Antara adding that her mother registered a formal case with the police two days after the incident.

Meanwhile, a local court of Bishalgarh on Friday sent nine of the 11 prime accused to police custody for another 14 days. Two others were still absconding.

Regular police patrolling continues in Rangapania as tension ceases to fade in the area. The MMS of the clippings of the incident is still being circulated among the villagers and outsiders.

The victim has been shifted from the village and kept in an unidentified location for her safety and the daughter could not see her mother.

The victim had alleged that her husband had mobilised the youths to outrage her modesty as she had refused to bring dowry money from her parents.

Police report stated that victim got married with Samir Kar some nine years ago.

“I was being tortured by my husband and in-laws after my marriage for dowry even though I had brought more than Rs 2 lakh from my parents on different occasions over the years.

“After giving birth to a girl child they (the in-laws) intensified the torture on me and my baby as they did not want girl,” the victim said to the police.

She, however, mentioned that recently she had been objecting to their demands and assaults that made her husband angry and subsequently he orchestrated the gangrape.

Earlier, the police said that the accused dragged the housewife from her home and took turns to rape her before many people, including women. But no one dared to come forward to save the mother of the eight-year-old.

Tripura Woman’s Commission chairperson Purnima Roy had strongly condemned the atrocious incident and asked the police to take stern action against the culprits.

People also organised a protest rally at Bishalgarh over the incident which shook the State at a time when the gangrape of a 23-year old medical student in New Delhi had shook the nation and galvanised people to take to the streets in protest against the heinous crime.

While things are on track, as far as trials of the accused are concerned, in the New delhi case, much is yet to be done back in Tripura. (Agencies)