Friday, March 13, 2009

MNF okays pre-poll alliance for LS polls

Aizawl: The Mizo National Front (MNF), the largest regional party in Mizoram, on Tuesday gave a nod to a pre-poll alliance of all regional parties for the coming Lok Sabha election. This is contrary to its earlier threat of boycotting the Parliamentary polls if the electronic voting machines were used. The MNF's executive meeting today agreed to tie up for the coming Lok Sabha election and the South Tuipui byelection.

The headquarters' elected office-bearers were entrusted with taking necessary steps in this regard, an MNF statement said here on Tuesday.

Earlier, the other two regional parties, Zoram Nationalist Party, led by MLA Lalduhoma, and Mizo People's Conference had agreed to form regional force to take on the national party.

The MNF had also accused the ruling Congress party of declining the proposal by a group of pastors to field the Reverend Vanlalnghaka, one of the most popular Mizo pastors, as all-party candidate for the lone Mizoram seat.

As the Congress had fielded its own candidate from the party, the pastors' wish could not be fulfilled. Therefore, all-out efforts would be taken to elect whoever candidate the regional forum fields, the statement said.

The Mizoram unit of the BJP also today expressed its willingness to join the regional bandwagon. The party was ready to support non-Congress alliance, a party statement said. (UNI)


Former bureaucrat is Nagaland People’s Party choice for LS polls

Kohima: The Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) has decided to field Mangmosungkum Chang popularly known as C M Chang, as its official candidate to contest for the lone Lok Sabha seat of Nagaland in the coming election.

Chang hailing from Noksen village under Tuensang joined Nagaland government service in 1971 as the investigator in the Art and Culture department, was appointed as the Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) after clearing the Nagaland Civil Service examination. He took voluntary retirement in 2002 and subsequently joined politics.

Terming Chang as a "man of ability and altruism and far from prejudice", the NPF appealed to the electorates to vote for him so as to enable him to interpret all these latent agenda into reality for action.

Meanwhile, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president has informed that the Congress would announce its candidate within a day or two. Congress has received three candidates – two-time MP Asungba Sangtam, incumbent MP W. Wangyuh Konyak and former Minister E.T.Ezung. (NNN)


Garages and vehicles burnt in inferno

Kohima: Several motor workshops, including three garages and a bus (NL-05/B-0797) were razed to ashes in a fire that broke out at Ghorapatti area, Dimapur at around 6.30 pm on Monday.

Sources revealed that the fire started from one of the garages and spread like a bonfire to the adjoining garages completely damaging a bus and partially burning a truck besides destroying property worth more than Rs. 50 lakh.

Six fire tenders were reportedly pressed to douse the inferno which continued for an hour. However, there was no report of any casualty. (NNN)


Exclusive railway for Tripura demanded

Agartala: Tripura has demanded an exclusive railway division and recruitment board in the state now that it has been under the jurisdiction of Lumding section that pegged a distance of 400 kilometres.

Transport minister of Tripura, Manik Dey said on Tuesday that the state needed a separate division keeping in view of the probability of the gateway of Southeast Asia to be developed here with the latest bilateral progress between India and Bangladesh.

Manik Dey said, "If the proposed Agartala-Sabroom project gets materialized in scheduled time, in the next two years, the state will have rail track from its north to south ends that will open the chance of accessing Chottogram sea-port in Bangladesh commercially. From Sabroom the concerned sea-port is nearby and more to it, there is only 13 kilometres of gap that snaps rail connection between the two neighboring countries. Bridging it, we may communicate the rest of India through Bangladesh more conveniently from this land-locked state".

The demand had been placed to the Union government, he said. (NNN)


General crimes remain a major worry for Govt

From Our Correspondent

Agartala: While the insurgency is gradually declining, the overall law and order situation continues to remain grim as the Left ruled Tripura witnessed increase in incidents like murder, rape and other crimes.

Incidents like murder, rape, abduction and molestation have increased considerably. According to official figures, the number of murder has been increased from 138 in 2007 to 155 in last year.

Likewise, incidents of rapes have also been enhanced from 157 in 2007 to 204 in 2008. What is alarming is that the sharp increase in the number of molestation cases.

A total of 244 molestation cases were registered with the police in 2007 and as many as 346 such cases were lodged with the police in the last year.

The number of dowry cases has been increased from 545 in 2007 to 735 in 2008. But the casualty has been reduced. As many as 36 women have died due to dowry in 2007 while it has come down to 16 last year.

These don’t include sexual abuse charges against two senior officers. Last year, the then Joint Secretary, Home department, Nepal Sen had to resign following serious sexual abuse against him last year.

Commissioner of Food and Civil Supplies department, BK Roy had been placed under ‘compulsory wait’ for his alleged involvement in sexual abuse of a woman Stenographer. Both the cases were not registered with the police.

But the insurgency continues to decline over the past two years. A total of 113 incidents of militant attacks had been registered in the state in 2007, according to statistics placed before the Assembly on Monday. The figure came down to 80 in 2008 and it was only 6 till January 31.

A total of 21 civilians were killed in 2007 while it has come down to only 10 in the last year. In the current year so far, there was no casualty due to extremist related incidents.

That doesn’t mean the insurgency is no longer a problem. Even after surrender of 678 militants from two frontline-outlawed groups, the number of extremists stands at 280. Out them, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) has highest number of armed cadres- 180-300.


Oppn for united fight against Cong

Aizawl: Opposition parties in Mizoram have been lobbying for a united front against the ruling Congress in the coming Lok Sabha elections and by-polls to South Tuipui assembly seat in Mizoram.

"Mizo National Front (MNF) today decided to seek ways to bring the regional parties together and form a common front against Congress candidates," Lalhmingliana, MNF's Rajya Sabha member and General Secretary of the party said.

In 2004 Lok Sabha polls, MNF candidate Vanlalzawma won Mizoram Lok Sabha seat by a margin of more than 23,000 votes.

While regional parties like Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) led by former chief minister Brig T Sailo has agreed to forge a common front, Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) said it would convey its decision on Wednesday. (PTI)


CAG slams Assam mid-day meal implementation

Guwahati: The Assam government’s 'glaring inadequateness' in implementation of mid-day meal scheme during 2003-08 resulted in the scheme’s failure in achieving its objective of providing nutritious meals to eligible children and improve their enrolment and retention level.

The state government failed to utilise the Central funds available for implementation of the scheme and at the end of March, 2008 there was an accumulated balance of Rs 99.73 crore with the state government, Rs 79.44 crore with the State Nodal Officer (SNO) and Rs 12.27 crore with the District Nodal Offciers (DNO).

The state’s education department did not even offer proper and reliable enrolment figures of beneficiary children, resulting in submission of conflicting figures from different sources.

Pointing these failures on part of the state government, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in a report tabled in the state Assembly recently, further observed that the programme suffered also due to uneven distribution of foodgrains and inability to utilize available foodgrains and Central assistance.

The DNOs did not lift 86,403.12 MT of foodgrains during 2003-08, leading to denial of mid-day meal to enrolled students for 238 days.

It also noted the high possibilities of pilferage of foodgrains as several cases of distribution of dry ration was reported due to non-availability of cooking facilities or costs.

The CAG report stated that only 30 per cent of the allotted rice was utilised for serving cooked meal during 2005-07, with the Education department accepting that there was a mismatch between rice allotted/lifted and cooking cost released and that, to avoid damage/deterioration, rice had been issued as dry ration.

The state government also failed to seek reimbursement of transportation cost amounting to Rs 22.64 crore from the government of India.

Massive shortcomings were also found in infrastructureof the buildings. (UNI)


Governor appeals Naga ultras to reconcile

Kohima: Governor of Nagaland, K. Sankaranarayan has appealed to the Naga underground groups to listen to the voice of the people to stop fratricidal killings and bloodshed and to resolve their differences and move towards reconciliation and unity.

In his 38 minute speech delivered in the floor of the third session of the Eleventh Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, the Governor said that the State Government is firm in its commitment to facilitate a negotiated settlement of the Naga political problem.

He also asserted that the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) Government in the State would continue to act as an active facilitator in the ongoing peace process between the Government of India and the Naga groups, so that a lasting and durable settlement acceptable to the Naga people may be achieved.

Reaffirming the Government’s stand to pave the way for an alternative arrangement that may be necessary in the event of such a permanent settlement, he expressed gratitude to the NGOs, the civil societies and the Churches for their sincere efforts and contributions towards the cause of reconciliation and unity amongst the Naga family.

Maintaining that there has been considerable improvement in the law and order situation of the State during the last one year of his Government, he said incidents of inter-factional clashes amongst the underground groups have significantly reduced.

The Governor also focused dwelling on the developmental activities carried out by the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, DAN Government on the basis of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the alliance political parties.

Further, he maintained that the State’s contribution to the campaign against global warming is significant as Nagaland is maintaining the existing forest cover at 82.75 per cent of the geographical area.

He also appealed the people of the State to participate in observing an ‘Earth hour 2009’ by switching off all the lights between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm on March 28 as a symbolic gesture to show solidarity with global campaign for ‘Vote Earth’. (NNN)

Source: The Shillong Times

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