Imphal: The Manipur government is planning to construct 80 gym-cum youth centres in the state, Sports Minister N Biren Singh said today. Inaugurating the sixth Birchandra junior football championship here, Mr Singh said the centres would have state-of-the-art physical training equipment. As the state has been producing large numbers of talented sports persons, the new centres would help in giving momentum to the sports culture, he said. Mr Singh also appealed to work hard to organise state and national level tournaments rather than concentrating on local tournaments. (UNI)
Assam Govt eyes Kenyan model to improve tea quality
Guwahati: In an endeavour to regain Assam tea's quality, the Assam government was planning bringing all small tea growers and Bought Leave Factories (BLF) under an umbrella and emulate the Kenyan model of success in the tea sector.
Briefing newsmen on Thursday after leading a team of officials and small tea growers to Kenya recently, state Commerce and Industries Minister Pradyut Bordoloi said the government was mulling several steps to enhance the quality of Assam tea, which was fast losing its international brand image due to unchecked increase in production.
''The small tea growers, which contribute 29 per cent of total tea leaves produced in the state, must be organized as declining quality of Assam tea is also linked with uncontrolled rise of small tea gardens and BLF,'' he said.
He informed that the state government was mulling registration of BLF and lying down of mandatory clauses, like demarcation of catchment areas of potential for each BLF, to check the mushrooming growth and bring more accountability on part of the producers.
The government would also be approaching Tocklai tea research centre for guiding the small tea growers against nominal charges as ignorance of fertilisers and chemicals leads to decline in quality very often, Mr Bordoloi said.
Highlighting that Kenyan tea had captured world market after starting production with imported seeds and clones from Tocklai here, the minister said most of the new proposals being now actively mooted by the state government were in emulation of the Kenyan success story.
Pointing that Kenya's small tea growers accounted for about 60 per cent of its total production, he said the role of cooperatives and self-help groups, besides organisation of the sector in a systematic manner, had gone a long way in ensuring small tea growers’ success in the African country. (UNI)
Azan Pir Award given away
Guwahati: The prestigious Azan Fakir Award was conferred on renowned social activists and writers here on Thursday. Social activist Hem Bhai received the award for 2005, while noted author Taffajul Ali was conferred the award for 2006 posthumously. The award for 2007 was conferred on author Dr Birendranath Dutta.
The award, instituted by the state government in 2004, was in name of the great Muslim preacher and saint Azan Pir, who came to the North East to unify the people of the Brahmaputra valley and preach Islam in Assam. (UNI)
Arunachal Govt staff go on strike; two held under ESMA
Itanagar: Thousands of agitating Arunachal Pradesh government employees, demanding implementation of the 6th Pay Commission reports, blocked several areas here for hours and tried to gherao police stations following arrest of two of their colleagues under ESMA on Thursday.
The District Magistrate Padmini Singla and Superintendent of Police Hibu Tamang rushed to Itanagar police station with reinforcements as around 3000 agitating employees gathered near the PS disrupting traffic.
The state government invoked the Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) on Wednesday after the members the Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh refused to call off their strike started on February 5. The state government under a recent agreement with CoSAAP leaders implemented the recommendations from January last with some modifications, including only 6 months arrear. (PTI)
Sikkim sees 10 pc rise in tourist arrivals
Gangtok: The economic slowdown across the world may hit the tourism industry in other parts of the country, but the tourism sector in the Himalayan state of Sikkim has risen by over 10 per cent till last year, according to figure compiled by the tourism department.
The tiny state, world famous for its pristine landscape, snow-capped mountains and lakes received 3.87 lakh tourists in 2008 in comparison to 3.49 lakh tourists in the year before, the department release said today.
The number of visiting domestic tourists stood at 3.68 lakh last year as against 3.31 lakh in 2007, while the foreign tourists' intake last year was 19,154 as against the corresponding figure of 17,837. (PTI)
One ultra killed in DHD clash in NC Hills
Haflong: An ultra of the pro-talks faction was killed by the Jewel group of Dimasa militants in an inter-factional clash at North Cachar Hills district.
Official sources here on Thursday said the deceased militant,identified as Lojendra Langthasa, was shot dead near Khalimindisa under Maibong police station on Wednesday evening.
In another incident in this headquarter town, the house of DHD (Jewel faction) 'commander' Morung was ransacked by unidentified miscreants.
Two persons were also injured in the incident. (UNI)
N-E bankers to get the hang of micro-finance in B’desh
Agartala: In a bid to strengthen Self Help Groups(SHG) and encourage commercial banks in micro-financing activities in Northeastern states, the NABARD and Association for Research on People And Nature (ARPAN) on Thursday sent a delegation of 15 bankers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to Bangladesh. The delegates, including top bureaucrats of the states, would attend a five-day training and exposure visit to internationally acclaimed micro-finance institutions like Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Village Education Resource Centre (VERC) and Gramin Bank in Bangladesh, ARPAN secretary and leading Rural Development expert of Northeast Dr Jayanta Choudhury said.
Dr Choudhury said at the end of the programme the participants would be able to explain the intricacies of micro-finance sector, describe the characteristics of micro-finance institutions in Bangladesh vis-à-vis India and elaborate the system/techniques of appraisal and monitoring of micro-finance programmes to accelerate the growth of rural economy of India. They would monitor the bankers activities for encouraging micro finance and development of rural economy after the training, he said. (UNI)
Wildscreen fest begins in Guwahati
Guwahati: Environment and wildlife enthusiasts and workers in the North East has been provided with a rare opportunity to view works of some of the world’s best wildlife and environmental filmmakers in the two-day Wildscreen Festival that began at the picturesque Shilpagram auditorium here on Thursday.
Wildscreen, the world’s largest and most prestigious wildlife film festival has come to this part of the country, thanks to the collaboration between British Council and Aaranyak, a green brigade based in the region.
"We in British Council have decided to choose Guwahati over many other locations in the country to hold the Wildscreen Festival for the reason that it is located in a bio-diversity hotspot on the planet. We were sure the festival would help raise consciousness among the people of the region over the global warming and other environmental issues facing the world as on date," British Council official Sujata Sen said.
Renowned films like ‘Can We save Planet Earth ?’, ‘Life in Clod Blood-Armoured Giants’ , Earth: The Power of the Planet –Atmosphere, 'Global Dimming’, ‘The Animals Save the Planet’ are being screen here as part of the Wildscreen Festival’s tour across Indian cities and Sri Lanka this month.
As part of the festivals, noted environmentalist, filmmakers and technical experts in filmmaking will hold master classes for environment workers and students as part of the film festival.
Wildscreen Festival aims to encourage and applaud excellence in producing films about natural world, so as to increase global viewing.
The Festival is part of British Council’s Low Carbon Futures project, which aims to mitigate the effects of Climate Change in an urban environment.
The festival which was founded by Sir Peter Scott in 1982 and has been organized every alternate year in Bristol for the past 25 years first came to India in 2007 and toured Delhi, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai. (The Shillong Times)
.::. All my articles can be view here: MELTED HEARTS .::.
Assam Govt eyes Kenyan model to improve tea quality
Guwahati: In an endeavour to regain Assam tea's quality, the Assam government was planning bringing all small tea growers and Bought Leave Factories (BLF) under an umbrella and emulate the Kenyan model of success in the tea sector.
Briefing newsmen on Thursday after leading a team of officials and small tea growers to Kenya recently, state Commerce and Industries Minister Pradyut Bordoloi said the government was mulling several steps to enhance the quality of Assam tea, which was fast losing its international brand image due to unchecked increase in production.
''The small tea growers, which contribute 29 per cent of total tea leaves produced in the state, must be organized as declining quality of Assam tea is also linked with uncontrolled rise of small tea gardens and BLF,'' he said.
He informed that the state government was mulling registration of BLF and lying down of mandatory clauses, like demarcation of catchment areas of potential for each BLF, to check the mushrooming growth and bring more accountability on part of the producers.
The government would also be approaching Tocklai tea research centre for guiding the small tea growers against nominal charges as ignorance of fertilisers and chemicals leads to decline in quality very often, Mr Bordoloi said.
Highlighting that Kenyan tea had captured world market after starting production with imported seeds and clones from Tocklai here, the minister said most of the new proposals being now actively mooted by the state government were in emulation of the Kenyan success story.
Pointing that Kenya's small tea growers accounted for about 60 per cent of its total production, he said the role of cooperatives and self-help groups, besides organisation of the sector in a systematic manner, had gone a long way in ensuring small tea growers’ success in the African country. (UNI)
Azan Pir Award given away
Guwahati: The prestigious Azan Fakir Award was conferred on renowned social activists and writers here on Thursday. Social activist Hem Bhai received the award for 2005, while noted author Taffajul Ali was conferred the award for 2006 posthumously. The award for 2007 was conferred on author Dr Birendranath Dutta.
The award, instituted by the state government in 2004, was in name of the great Muslim preacher and saint Azan Pir, who came to the North East to unify the people of the Brahmaputra valley and preach Islam in Assam. (UNI)
Arunachal Govt staff go on strike; two held under ESMA
Itanagar: Thousands of agitating Arunachal Pradesh government employees, demanding implementation of the 6th Pay Commission reports, blocked several areas here for hours and tried to gherao police stations following arrest of two of their colleagues under ESMA on Thursday.
The District Magistrate Padmini Singla and Superintendent of Police Hibu Tamang rushed to Itanagar police station with reinforcements as around 3000 agitating employees gathered near the PS disrupting traffic.
The state government invoked the Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) on Wednesday after the members the Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh refused to call off their strike started on February 5. The state government under a recent agreement with CoSAAP leaders implemented the recommendations from January last with some modifications, including only 6 months arrear. (PTI)
Sikkim sees 10 pc rise in tourist arrivals
Gangtok: The economic slowdown across the world may hit the tourism industry in other parts of the country, but the tourism sector in the Himalayan state of Sikkim has risen by over 10 per cent till last year, according to figure compiled by the tourism department.
The tiny state, world famous for its pristine landscape, snow-capped mountains and lakes received 3.87 lakh tourists in 2008 in comparison to 3.49 lakh tourists in the year before, the department release said today.
The number of visiting domestic tourists stood at 3.68 lakh last year as against 3.31 lakh in 2007, while the foreign tourists' intake last year was 19,154 as against the corresponding figure of 17,837. (PTI)
One ultra killed in DHD clash in NC Hills
Haflong: An ultra of the pro-talks faction was killed by the Jewel group of Dimasa militants in an inter-factional clash at North Cachar Hills district.
Official sources here on Thursday said the deceased militant,identified as Lojendra Langthasa, was shot dead near Khalimindisa under Maibong police station on Wednesday evening.
In another incident in this headquarter town, the house of DHD (Jewel faction) 'commander' Morung was ransacked by unidentified miscreants.
Two persons were also injured in the incident. (UNI)
N-E bankers to get the hang of micro-finance in B’desh
Agartala: In a bid to strengthen Self Help Groups(SHG) and encourage commercial banks in micro-financing activities in Northeastern states, the NABARD and Association for Research on People And Nature (ARPAN) on Thursday sent a delegation of 15 bankers of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to Bangladesh. The delegates, including top bureaucrats of the states, would attend a five-day training and exposure visit to internationally acclaimed micro-finance institutions like Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), Village Education Resource Centre (VERC) and Gramin Bank in Bangladesh, ARPAN secretary and leading Rural Development expert of Northeast Dr Jayanta Choudhury said.
Dr Choudhury said at the end of the programme the participants would be able to explain the intricacies of micro-finance sector, describe the characteristics of micro-finance institutions in Bangladesh vis-à-vis India and elaborate the system/techniques of appraisal and monitoring of micro-finance programmes to accelerate the growth of rural economy of India. They would monitor the bankers activities for encouraging micro finance and development of rural economy after the training, he said. (UNI)
Wildscreen fest begins in Guwahati
Guwahati: Environment and wildlife enthusiasts and workers in the North East has been provided with a rare opportunity to view works of some of the world’s best wildlife and environmental filmmakers in the two-day Wildscreen Festival that began at the picturesque Shilpagram auditorium here on Thursday.
Wildscreen, the world’s largest and most prestigious wildlife film festival has come to this part of the country, thanks to the collaboration between British Council and Aaranyak, a green brigade based in the region.
"We in British Council have decided to choose Guwahati over many other locations in the country to hold the Wildscreen Festival for the reason that it is located in a bio-diversity hotspot on the planet. We were sure the festival would help raise consciousness among the people of the region over the global warming and other environmental issues facing the world as on date," British Council official Sujata Sen said.
Renowned films like ‘Can We save Planet Earth ?’, ‘Life in Clod Blood-Armoured Giants’ , Earth: The Power of the Planet –Atmosphere, 'Global Dimming’, ‘The Animals Save the Planet’ are being screen here as part of the Wildscreen Festival’s tour across Indian cities and Sri Lanka this month.
As part of the festivals, noted environmentalist, filmmakers and technical experts in filmmaking will hold master classes for environment workers and students as part of the film festival.
Wildscreen Festival aims to encourage and applaud excellence in producing films about natural world, so as to increase global viewing.
The Festival is part of British Council’s Low Carbon Futures project, which aims to mitigate the effects of Climate Change in an urban environment.
The festival which was founded by Sir Peter Scott in 1982 and has been organized every alternate year in Bristol for the past 25 years first came to India in 2007 and toured Delhi, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai. (The Shillong Times)
.::. All my articles can be view here: MELTED HEARTS .::.
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