Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday said the Maoists were trying to establish bases in the state with active support from various groups and organisations aimed at destabilising the region.

“It is a fact that the Maoists are there in Assam and trying their best to set up strongholds,” the chief minister told journalists.

Gogoi was reacting to confessional statements made by the four Maoists arrested by police over the weekend in east Assam.

“There are people, including various over-ground groups, who are supporting the Maoists. The whole idea is to destabilise the state,” the chief minister said.

Gogoi said the government was aware of the Maoists’ plans to strike terror and penetrate deep into the state.

“We are very much concerned and hence taking all steps to thwart their designs,” the chief minister said.

Police arrested four youths in the east Tinsukia district on Sunday on charges of having Maoist links.

“There are several insurgent groups in Assam that have direct Maoist links. We cannot divulge all he details now,” the chief minister said.

There were fears that the Maoists were trying to penetrate into Assam’s tea plantations taking advantage of the poor living conditions and grievances of the workers.

Reports said the Maoists from east India may have forged links with a ragtag Assam-based group called the All Adivasi National Liberation Army, whose cadres were drawn from the state’s tea workers’ community.

The Maoists were also eyeing to create trouble in Bhutan and were hence keen to set up bases in Assam to stage hit-and-run guerrilla strikes in the adjoining Buddhist nation, reports said.

Bhutan witnessed a pro-democracy agitation in the 1990s with a section of Nepali-speaking residents in its southern parts rising in revolt. The crackdown that followed led thousands of Nepali-speaking people from southern Bhutan to flee to Nepal.

Now an estimated 100,000 people are sheltered in relief camps. There are reports that the Maoists have been drawn from the aggrieved refugees now based in Nepal. (IANS)

From Our Correspondent

AGARTALA: The ONGC will ensure gas supply to two major power projects — Palatana in South Tripura district and Manarchak in West Tripura district.

As per the schedule, the first phase of 726 MW power project will be operational by February next year though it was supposed to come up by end of this year while the NEEPCO envisaged 104 MW power project at Manarchak is scheduled to be operational by March 2013 next.

The ONGC is fully ready to supply 1.3 MMSCMD gas per day to Palatana power plant, said ONGC’s Asset Manager K Satyanarayana here on Monday.

“The laying of pipeline, construction of gas gathering and measures centres are about to complete”, he said.

As per the plan, the ONGC will supply gas to Palatana power project from 14 wells in phases so that it could run for 20/22 years.

Satyanarayana said that the ONGC would be fully prepared to supply 0.6 MMSCMD gas to Manarchak power project, which is scheduled to come off by March 2013.

Keeping in mind of the growing demands for natural gas, the ONGC has already kicked off Million six Mission to increase gas production. As part of the mission, the oil giant has set a target of exploring 41 wells during the year 2011-12.

“We are hopeful of achieving the target within the scheduled time”, he said.

However, the Asset Manager made it clear that the ONGC would not be position to supply gas for new project after meeting demand of Palatana and Manarchak power plants.

Claiming that the ONGC is not sitting idle to strike more discover, the Asset Manager said that natural gas reserved had also found at Khoubal in North Tripura district. “We are planning to explore more wells there near future”, he said.

Two militants nabbed in Assam

Goalpara: Two insurgents of ethnic Rabha Viper Army were caught by security forces and arms seized from them in Assam’s Goalpara district on Monday. The two militants were arrested for a hideout at Bardamal under Agiah police station on a tip off by a combined team of army, CRPF and police on a tip off, official sources said. A 12 mm revolver with ammunition and a pistol, three mobile sets with SIM cards and a motor-cycle without a numberplate were seized from the militants, the sources said. Supposedly formed in 2008 with the support of the ULFA, the little-known local armed group with influence in Goalpara district has been involved in arms smuggling, kidnapping and extortion. (PTI)

Malaria kills 29 in Mizoram this year

Aizawl: Malaria has claimed at least 29 lives in Mizoram between January and September this year as against 31 malarial deaths in the state last year, state health department officials said here on Monday. The officials attributed the deaths to ignorance among the people which resulted in delayed treatment of the patients. Southern Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, with ten deaths, recorded the maximum malarial deaths this year, the officials said. (PTI)

Three AR jawans injured in blast

Imphal: Three Assam Rifles jawans were injured in a bomb blast at Ukhrul district on Monday. Police said suspected militants planted a powerful bomb near Sangkhai where a convoy of 23 Assam Rifles was moving on the road towards Imphal. When the IED exploded three jawans sustained injuries. All the three were rushed to Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal for treatment. All were out of danger. Additional forces were rushed in and a search operation was carried out in the area. It is not known yet who were responsible for the blast. (UNI)

Pharmacies down shutters in Assam

Guwahati: Medical stores in five eastern Assam districts remained closed for several hours on Monday in protest against sealing of eight pharmacies in Sibsagar district last week. Drug dealers associations’ in Jorhat, Sibsagar, Golaghat, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts kept closed pharmacies since Monday morning. While in most of the districts the medical stores have remained closed for most part of the day, those in Tinsukia district remained closed for two hours. The medical stores in Tinsukia opened after the token strike in the wake of the difficulties the people were facing due to non-availability of medicines. In other districts, at least two pharmacies were kept open at important locations and medicine counters were also opened to ensure that the general public face the least trouble. However, attendants of patients had a difficult time in getting medicines on time and people were not supportive of the agitation. The drug dealers’ association had announced the agitation in protest against sealing of eight pharmacies in the Sibsagar civil hospital premise last week. These pharmacies were reportedly opened flouting norms and hence were sealed by the administration. (UNI)

Kohima: Former Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghutoshe Yeptho passed away in a private nursing home at Kohima on Monday.

He was 70 and is survived by three sons and two daughters.

Born in October 31, 1942, Yeptho graduated from St Edmund’s College Shillong and first served as a teacher at Sumi Baptist English School at Zunheboto from 1970-72. He was an active student leader in various capacities in his youth.

He became the Zunheboto district president of the then United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1971-72, president DCC(I) Zunheboto in 1973, General Secretary of Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) from 1978-80 and vice president of NPCC from 1991-2001.

Yeptho first contested in the state general election as an independent candidate from Zunheboto Assembly Constituency in 1974, which he lost. However, in 1977, he contested on a Congress ticket and was elected. He served as an MLA from 1977-82. He was re-elected in 1982 and served as the Chairman of Nagaland Khadi Board (1982-85), Minister of State for Sports and Youth Welfare (1985-87) and Minister for Health and Family Welfare (1987-88).

After retirement from active politics, he dedicated his time to social work till his death. (UNI)