| Sakewa festival offers tribute to Mother Earth in Sikkim |
: SIKKIM, May 25: Assam Linzey in Sikkim celebrated Sakewa, a festival to offer tribute to Mother Earth on Saturday. Sakewa is held as a community prayer and during this festival sweets and food grains are offered to Lord Kubera, who is the God of food and wealth.
Assam Linzey mostly comprises of Rai community, who have celebrated this festival since ancient times and following the recognition of their language by the state government and declaration of Sakewa as a state holiday, the festival is now organized on a grand level.
“The main motive behind this festival is to pray to earth on which mankind was created. Today we people pray for the progress and peace of mankind. We pray for the safety of mankind,” said AK Rai, one of the organizing members of the Sakewa festival.
The festival has become synonymous to brotherhood among different communities as member from other sects also participate in the celebration. “All of the communities here celebrate this festival. Rai participate in our festivals and we participate in theirs. We show an example of strength by celebrating this festival together,” said Tulsi Sharma, a local from another community.During Sakewa, women performing a folk dance called Sakewa Sili as their prayer to earth wishing good cultivation. The Rais are mainly cultivators who consider themselves as the off springs of Paruhang (the Rai God) who is believed to have dwelled in the Himalayas. (Agencies)
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 NH-39 blocked to protest killing of youth in fake encounter |
: IMPHAL, May 25 : The Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the alleged killing of Laitonjam Satish (34) of Singjamei Oinam Thingel by troops in an alleged fake encounter today called a 12-hour strike on NH 39 from 6 am.
People came out in large numbers and blocked roads using burnt tyres, woods. The streets were completely deserted and large numbers of police personnel were stationed in the area to avert any untoward incident.
Police had a tough time controlling the protestors. Satish, son of former MLA, L Sarat was nabbed with Gunindro by troops on May 16 and later shot dead in an alleged encounter.
Gunindro was released yesterday. Gunindro said he was released by the Assam Rifles personnel after he promised not to reveal anything.
Congress MLA, I Hemochandra tried to pacify the members of the JAC and assured to take up the matter after Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh comes back from New Delhi.
Meanwhile, L Sarat, former MLA, father of the deceased said he never expected justice from the government. (Agencies)
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| Tripura takes over India’s first PPP model medical college |
: AGARTALA, May 25 : To protect the interest of 200 MBBS students and over 900 doctors and other employees, the Tripura government has taken over India’s first PPP model medical college and hospital, promoted by the Kerala based Global Educational Net (GENET), officials said here on Sunday.
“The 100-seat Tripura Medical College, set up by GENET in collaboration with the Tripura government here in 2004, is the first public private partnership (PPP) model in the healthcare education in India,” Tripura Health Minister Tapan Chakraborty said.An official notification said: “As the GENET has failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreements signed with the organization and also conveyed its inability to run the medical college, the Tripura government has rescinded all agreements and lease deeds signed with GENET.”
“An 11 member registered society headed by principal secretary health and family welfare has been formed to run the college and hospital,” the notification added.
With the establishment of the medical college, which also has a 500-bed hospital, the Tripura capital had also achieved the remarkable distinction of being the only city in the northeastern region to have two medical colleges. The state-run Tripura government Medical College started functioning in 2003.
“As per the term and conditions, the Tripura government has so far provided Rs 250 million to GENET to run the medical college and hospital and the organization had collected over Rs 210 million from the students as donations,” a senior official, requesting anonymity, said.
The notification also said: “The GENET has failed to secure permission of the Medical Council of India (MCI) and government of India in admitting students in the academic year 2008-09 and it has also failed to pay the salaries of employees due to which there was a series of disruptions in the normal functioning of the college and hospital.” (IANS)
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| Army jawan killed, five injured in road mishap |
: GANGTOK, May 25: An army jawan was killed and five others were injured today when the vehicle they were travelling in slipped down the road near 10th Mile along the Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, which connects Gangtok with Nathu La. The mishap took place at around 0830 hrs, police said.
“The vehicle had fallen some 300 feet down the road near 10th Mile killing one jawan on the spot and leaving five others injured,” the police said.
The body of the deceased and the five other injured army jawans were pulled out by the army personnel stationed along the Nathu La stretch and ferried to a nearby military hospital. The injured were being treated at the hospital, sources said.Yesterday, one Border Roads Organization (BRO) labourer was killed and six others were injured in a similar accident near 10th Mile. (Agencies)
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| Children die of food poisoning in Sikkim |
: GANGTOK (Morena), May 25 : Three children died of food poisoning in MPs Morena district while four children of a family died in North Sikkim after consuming wild mushrooms after having wild mushroom in North Sikkim, as a family reunion in a household four days ago.
Lizum Lepcha (One year and six months), Norden Lepcha (two), Bhaichung Lepcha (eight) and Dawa Lepcha (10) died one by one at the government hospital here in the past three days after being shifted from Chungthang’s public health centre, the officials said.
In Morena in MP, three children died and 52 fell ill after they consumed sweets at a marriage function in Badavali village.
In another incident, three adults of the North Sikkim family are also said to be in a serious condition after they ate the wild mushrooms during a family reunion function on May 19, officials said. While one of the children died at the Government Hospital on Friday, the others died on May 20 and 21.
The Lepcha family had eaten wild mushroom during dinner among other spreads to celebrate the visit of their eldest daughter Sankrit at Shipgyer locality in Upper Dzongu region of North Sikkim on May 19 last.
All of them were taken ill the next morning and rushed by the neighbours, first to Chungthang health centre and then referred to the government hospital. (Agencies)
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| Fifth foundation of United Mongoloid celebrated |
: IMPHAL, May 25 : The fifth foundation day of the United Mongoloid, Manipur celebrated today at the Chinkon Community hall in Senapati district with the participation of various communities settling in the state.
Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, member of the Manipur Human Rights Commission, NG Nongyai expressed concern over the communities going to the direction whatever they like without any objective and called for deciding on which direction will the people go lauding the United Mongoloid, Manipur in its effort to bring together people of this region one direction.
The activities of the body to bring people of the state in a common platform, Nogyai said observing that even though various civil organizations come up, so far they could not come together and work together.
There is also the need of fighting some intellectual corruption trying to giving pressure to the small communities.
He also said that individuals who do research on the claim of some section of Bengali residing in Asom suffixing Mainpuri to Bishnupriya with the claim that the original Manipuri and people presently residing in Manipur had come from Thailand has got Ph D Degree.
This is a kind of corruption, he said. President of the United Mongoloid, Manipur, Lanboy Kabui who presided the function said the body has been set up with an objective of bringing together Mongoloid people.
It was founded five years back in 2004. The body is targeting to organize such function in the place where mongoloids are settling together.
In order to highlight that United Mongoloid is there, the body had extended monetary helps to the people of four countries, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India when tsunami hits.
While extending helps to the people of same origins, love bond can be built up, he added.
Presentation of cultural and traditional dance items of various communities marked the celebration function chairman of the Nungsai Chiru Village Authority, Thangpu, chief of the Lamlanghup Chothe village, Hiyang Thambaljao Chothe and former headmaster of Chinkon UJB School L Longmeiphul Kabui attended as guest of honours. (Agencies)
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| Scourge of water scarcity in Nagaland |
: KOHIMA, May 25 : The scourge of water scarcity has hit most in many parts of Nagaland, if not all the districts of the state. The scarcity of water has been a matter of worry for the denizens of Nagaland for years now. Had it not been for the timely monsoon rains in all these years, the people of the state would have faced untold hardships due to scarcity of water with the exception of Dimapur.
Dimapur is not hit hard as much as other places of Nagaland by the scourge of water owing to it being strategically located in the foothills.
Because of this reason, more or less, it has emerged as the economic capital of the state. But even Dimapur has no dependable system for proper and regular supply of drinking water for its ever-increasing population. However, owing to the utter negligence of the concerned department in this regard, the people of this fast-growing commercial centre of the region are left with no other option but to solely depend on ground water, which has led to an unrestricted exploitation of groundwater reserves.
The state capital, Kohima, has been deprived of water since October 2008, making the lives of the public miserable, especially the ‘lower’ sections of the people. Nagaland Minister for PHE, Dr Nangshi K Ao, said the shortage is due to the existing land dispute between Poilwa and Khonoma village and their refusal to supply water to the state capital. On the other hand, the main pipeline from Jotsoma and Phesama, the other source of supply of water to Kohima, is damaged since last year and so far no corrective measures have been taken up due to “low level of fund allocation” for the urban areas.
The problem of drinking water is more or less the same in the other districts of the state. In the backdrop of the prevailing situation, water conservation has become the most important way out to avoid the water crisis. For Nagaland, it has become a matter of compulsion for rainwater harvesting and other economic ways of saving water at homes. (Agencies)
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| Government plans to utilize 95.82 per cent of SPA funds |
: IMPHAL, May 25 : The state government has deposited 34.64 per cent of the total Rs 550 crore received from the Centre under the Special Plan Assistant (SPA) during 2008-09 financial year to its MH-8449 account so as to make the total funds utilized by the state to 95.82 per cent even though the actual expenditure was 58.17 per cent only.
Meanwhile, director Sarvan Kumar (SP-North East), Planning Commission of India who is currently in the state to review implementation of SPA funded projects in Manipur has inspected some of the projects taken up in Moreh town, Chandel district today.
Manipur received an outlay of Rs 550 crores for taking up various priority projects mostly related with improvement of road connectivity, health services, education and human resource development.
Centre also released the cent per cent of the allocated funds to the state government during the financial year concluded on March 31, 2009 and the latest status reports of utilization of funds by the departments of the state government implementing projects and schemes showed an expenditure of Rs 319.96 crore representing 34.64 per cent of the total outlay.
An unspent fund amounting to 207.02 crores has been deposited at the Manipur government account MH-8449 by the authorities apparently to avoid return of the fund to the Central pool as done in the previous years.
The amount deposited with the MH-8449 together with actual expenditure amount of Rs 319.96 crores, government claimed the total expenditure at Rs 526.98 crores representing 95.82 per cent leaving a balance of Rs 230.124 crores.
The balance funds includes Rs 169.41 crores which the departments deposited with the MH-8449 which the bills for encashment have been rejected by Bank.
Unable to encash the funds for the finance year 2008-09 ended March 31, 2009 were due to the non-release of the funds by the State Finance Department, official source said.
The funds which could not be encashed from the bank includes Rs 92 crore of the State Sericulture Department, Rs 36 crores for the PHED, Rs 5 crore each for social welfare and rural development department, Rs 3 crore for labour department, Rs 4 crore for Excise Department, Rs 2 crores for labour and employment, Rs 11 crores for Health Department, Rs 6.50 crores for Commerce and Industries Department, Rs 7 crore for Consumers Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Rs 20 lakh for Fisheries and Rs 11 lakh for the Economic and Statistic Department.
Meanwhile, director (SP-NE), Planning Commission, Sarvan Kumar who arrived on yesterday in the state for his five day visit inspected projects sites in Moreh today. As soon as he arrived at Imphal inspected works progress at Capitol Project, Food Park and Imphal Art College.
Officials from PWD, Arts and Culture, Industries and Planning Department accompanied the visiting official during the site inspections. He took off for Moreh this morning and inspected Moreh Hospital, Trade Centre, Integrated Customs Post (ICP) site. He is staying in the town for the night. Tomorrow, he is scheduled to proceed towards the Thoubal Project site.On May 25, he will visit Loktak Lake where various lake conservation projects are being taken up by the state with Central funding like the Takmu Water Sports Complex.
He will also visit INA complex. After coming from site inspection at Loktak Lake, he will call on with the state additional chief secretary (planning) and review the progress status of the SPA funded projects and schemes. He will leave Imphal on May 26, the source said. (Agencies)
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: NE UPDATE
Plan official finds Moreh satisfactory
MOREH, May 25 : The development works under the funding of SPA at Moreh was surveyed today by Sarvan Kumar, director of State Plan North East and officials of related departments in a field visit.
Speaking to the media at Moreh, SPNE director said that he was satisfied with development works taken up in Moreh. He also said that as the state is disturbed by many insurgent groups there was delay in development works in most areas of the state, but added that the development works in Moreh had advanced a lot.
He further appealed for all the development works to be taken up whole heartedly as in Moreh to finish them in time. The director of SPNE visited the mini-secretariat (ADC Complex), Integrated Check Post (ICP), Trade Centre and Moreh Hospital and added that the works in the areas were satisfactory.
He also said that it was unfortunate that the NH-39 from Pallel to Moreh was in bad shape. In reply to a question about electricity, he said that as the problem was faced everywhere. In his opinion he said he felt extra power should be given to Moreh as it was the international border and a very hot area. He also said that it was unfortunate that people of Moreh were facing problems due to lack of doctors in the Moreh Hospital. (Agencies)
Kohima farmers’ exposure tour
KOHIMA, May 25 : A team of 26 farmers from Kohima district undertook a two-day exposure tour to Sugercane Research Station (Buralikson) on May 19 and 20.
At the sugar cane Station, the farmers interacted with the scientist at the research centre and got familiarized with the working system at the centre, the greenhouse system (sugar cane seedling grown under enclosure) and the jaggery unit. The team also visited Badra tea Estate (Asom), KUDA Cold storage, Bamboo Mission (Nagaland) and Bio-control and fertilizer lab at Medziphema.
LYanger(KVK, Kohima) led the team of visiting farmers while the tour was coordinated by B Imti Tzüdir (Sugercane Development Officer, Dimapur). The team has expressed gratitude to G Ikuto Zhimomi, DAO and PD ATMA (Kohima) for sponsoring the tour. (Agencies)
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