REGIONAL

GUWAHATI : The Assam government on Monday released the first tranche of around Rs 160 crore interim relief to over 75,000 households that were the worst affected in this year’s floods, officials said. The toll in the deluge this year rose to 85 as three more deaths were reported on Sunday even as the number of affected people dipped to 1.35 lakh, they said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is touring the worst-affected districts in Upper Assam, released the first tranche of interim relief from Dibrugarh. Around 75,000 families with severely damaged houses in Sivasagar, Chariadeo, Jorhat and Golaghat districts received Rs 15,000 each, the officials said. Subsidy under Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar scheme was also released for affected eligible families. Sarma had earlier announced several interim relief measures for the worst-hit districts, which will be covered with donations received in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The CM, in a social media post, said, “~Rs 160 crore has been credited directly into the bank accounts of families affected by the #AssamFloods. This morning, I transferred the promised interim assistance of Rs 15,000 each to nearly 75,000 of the worst-hit households across the four districts, along with the state subsidy under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana to those eligible.” He said the government is making efforts to place immediate liquidity in the hands of families so that they can begin rebuilding without delay while final compensation is determined through a comprehensive assessment. “A further tranche of Rs 10,000 for severely impacted families in Sivasagar and Charaideo will be released in the next few days. We stand firmly with our family members who had to endure such difficulties,” Sarma said. Asserting that the government is taking a “multi-faceted approach” to help the people by opening every possible avenue to give them cash in hand, the CM added, “Through releasing @PMSuryaGhar state subsidy, we have utilised another instrument of help those affected by #AssamFloods.” Sarma later visited parts of Sivasagar district and oversaw the relief and rehabilitation operations, while also interacting with the affected people. The latest fatalities in the deluge were reported in Sivasagar, one of the most-affected districts in the current wave of floods in the northeastern state. A total of 1,36,200 people remained affected by floods in the Charaideo, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Jorhat and Sivasagar districts. On Saturday, almost 1.8 lakh people were affected across five districts. Sivasagar remained the worst-hit with over 55,000 people affected, followed by 40,000 people in Charaideo and 22,000 in Jorhat. Altogether 54 relief camps and relief distribution centres were being run by the administration in five districts, taking care of 13,771 people at present. Farmland of 15,422 hectares remained submerged in the affected districts. The Dhansiri River was flowing above the danger level at Numaligarh in Golaghat district, the officials added. (Source: PTI)  

IMPHAL : Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Sunday said his government and the people of the state were making sincere efforts to restore lasting peace and that encouraging signs of improvement were now visible. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Rs 10 crore Addiction-Free Pledge Mega Campaign under the Nasha Mukta Bharat Abhiyaan and Mission SPANDAN (Spiritual Partnership Against Narcotic Drug Abuse) at Pheidinga in Imphal West district. Addressing the gathering, Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned Viksit Bharat 2047 to make India one of the most developed nations in the world. He said the vision could be achieved only if the country’s youth remained free from the menace of drugs. The chief minister said the nationwide drug-free campaign had started across the country and Manipur was proud to be part of the movement. On the law and order situation in the state, Singh said Manipur continued to face several challenges, but the government and the people were making efforts to restore peace. “Every ordinary citizen who has no interest in conflict desires only peace and normalcy,” he said. Singh recalled his visits to areas such as Litan, where internally displaced people from different communities, including Kuki, Meitei, Hmar and Paite, expressed a common desire to return to their homes and live together peacefully. The CM, however, expressed concern that acts of violence have repeatedly undermined efforts towards reconciliation. Referring to incidents that disrupted the peace process, he said such acts benefit only those who seek to profit from conflict and asserted that these individuals do not represent any particular community but are driven by vested interests that oppose the restoration of peace. Reiterating the government’s commitment, Singh said restoring peace remains the government’s foremost priority and that there will be no compromise in ensuring justice and taking action against those responsible for crimes. He also appealed to every citizen to cooperate with the government in rebuilding trust, restoring harmony and creating a peaceful environment essential for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. A pledge for a drug-free India was also administered during the programme, reaffirming the commitment of participants to stay away from intoxicants and spread awareness against substance abuse. (Source: PTI)          

IMPHAL : Security forces have arrested a militant belonging to the banned NSCN(K) outfit in Manipur’s Tamenglong district for his alleged involvement in extortion along highways, a police statement said. The 32-year-old insurgent, identified as Lungthaukhon Panmei, was nabbed along NH-37, which connects Imphal with Silchar, in Kaimai police station area on Saturday. Several extortion documents and cash of Rs 2,800 were seized from his possession, it said. Meanwhile, security forces also arrested another person for his alleged involvement in the illegal procurement and sale of arms, ammunition and explosives. The man, identified as Laishram Lakpati Singh (56), was apprehended from Khongman Zone-III in Imphal East district on Saturday and a grenade and 10 rounds of 9mm cartridge were seized from his possession, it added. (Source: PTI)    

RANGIA : A B.Tech student of IIT-Guwahati went missing after falling into the Brahmaputra river, officials said on Sunday. A police official said the incident took place on Saturday when two students of the institute were walking along the riverbank near the institute. “Suddenly, both of them fell into the river. After being informed, an SDRF team from a nearby camp reached the spot and rescued one student. She was admitted to a hospital,” the official said. The SDRF team searched the entire area but could not find the other girl, the official said. The missing student has been identified as Kachana Sai Chethana, hailing from Jammalamadugar in Andhra Pradesh. She is a third-year B.Tech student of the Electronics and Communication Engineering Department. “The SDRF team is continuing its search operation to locate the student,” police said. (Source: PTI)  

DIBRUGARH : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said the state government will engage IIT-Guwahati for developing a long-term solution to the erosion problem of the Brahmaputra river. After visiting Chabua, Balijan, Pukhurijan, Dinjan and Rahmoria in Dibrugarh district to assess the erosion problem first-hand, he said, “Our teams are working to mitigate the problem. I will soon have a meeting with experts from IIT-Guwahati to find a lasting solution to the issue.”. He said that erosion of riverbanks, especially by the Brahmaputra, is one of the biggest geographical challenges of the state as it loses land year after year. The government is working to fortify the river banks using modern technology, Sarma said. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said IIT experts will be engaged to develop a long-term solution to the erosion caused by the Brahmaputra, complementing the government’s proposed Rs 90 crore mitigation project. It added that the chief minister, during his visit to Dibrugarh district, interacted with locals and assured them of the government’s unwavering support and commitment to implementing long-term measures to protect vulnerable areas from erosion. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota on Sunday said he has reviewed the restoration of the telecommunication network in flood-hit districts and discussed with officials ways to enhance the resilience of critical communication infrastructure. After a meeting with BSNL Chief General Manager Vineet Saxena, the chief secretary said reliable telecommunications network remains indispensable for the effective coordination of relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations. “Had a meeting… to review ongoing efforts to strengthen and expedite the restoration of telecommunications connectivity in flood-affected areas, while also enhancing the resilience of critical communication infrastructure across the state,” Kota said in an X post. “Emphasised the need for close inter-agency coordination, rapid deployment of technical resources and proactive measures to minimise disruptions and ensure uninterrupted connectivity for affected communities,” he said. The flood situation in Assam improved slightly, with the number of affected people coming down to 1.78 lakh. The toll remained unchanged at 82. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Assam Police have apprehended 14 “infiltrators”, and appropriate action has been initiated against them, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He, however, did not divulge any details. “Each day, while infiltrators try to execute their nefarious designs in Assam, we keep on thwarting their plans and taking action against them,” the chief minister said in a post on X on Friday. “Fourteen such infiltrators have been apprehended by Assam Police, and appropriate action has been taken against them. Assam remains alert,” he added. The state government had recently informed the Assembly that nearly 2,100 illegal foreigners, of which 2,023 were from Bangladesh, have been deported, expelled or sent back from Assam in the past 10 years. (Source: PTI)      

SILCHAR : Four persons, including three workers, died after allegedly inhaling toxic gases inside an underground water tank at an under-construction building in Assam’s Cachar district, police said on Saturday. The owner of the building has been detained in connection with the incident, they said. The incident happened on Friday in the Kumarpara area of Jaynagar when workers were engaged to clean the underground water tank. Police said one worker first entered the tank but did not return. Two other workers then climbed down to check on him, but they too failed to come out. A local subsequently entered the tank in an attempt to rescue them but also lost consciousness inside, police said. Locals managed to pull all four out of the tank and alerted the police. They were rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared them dead. The deceased were identified as Niloy Paul, Nandan Paul, Debasish Paul and Champu Paul, all residents of Kumarpara. Preliminary investigation suggests that the victims died after inhaling toxic gases that had accumulated inside the underground tank, police said, adding that further investigation is underway. (Source: PTI)