REGIONAL

AIZAWL : The Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Thursday urged Chief Minister Lalduhoma to convene a special session of the state Assembly to pass a resolution opposing the Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. In a memorandum submitted to the chief minister, Congress said that the proposed bill was “detrimental” to Christians and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and called for urgent steps to ensure Mizoram formally records its opposition. The Congress demanded that the state government place a resolution against the bill before the Assembly and ensure its passage through a specially convened session. Apart from seeking a special Assembly session, the opposition party also urged the chief minister to take the initiative in arranging a meeting of church leaders, NGO representatives and leaders of all political parties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for withdrawal of the bill. The party further called on two MPs from the state to strongly oppose the legislation when it is introduced in Parliament and to vote against it during the voting process. The memorandum, signed by Congress president Lal Thanzara, also emphasised that the issue was of “utmost importance” and sought prompt action from the state government. Speaking to reporters after submitting the memorandum, senior Congress leader and former MLA John Siamkunga claimed that the proposed amendments to the FCRA could adversely affect Christians and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Mizoram. He alleged that changes made to the FCRA under the BJP-led government had already created difficulties for NGOs and Christian organisations in receiving financial assistance from abroad. He claimed that churches and NGOs in Mizoram were among those most affected by the amendments. The MPCC said the protection of Mizoram’s land, people, and faith remained one of its core priorities and stressed the need for all churches, NGOs, and political parties to unite against what it described as “harmful” legislation. The party further expressed surprise that the Mizoram government had remained silent on the issue despite churches in the state having held prayer meetings concerning the bill. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday asserted that protecting students’ interests was of paramount importance for the Centre and that PM Narendra Modi’s instruction to set up fast-track courts to punish those involved in the NEET paper leak was a testimony of it. He maintained that no person who puts the future of the youth at stake will be spared. “The interests and future of the youth of the country are the topmost priority of the double engine government. To ensure that the culprits in the NEET paper leak case are swiftly brought to justice, Fast Track Courts will be established for the expeditious disposal of the cases,” Sarma said in a post on X. Amid continuing protests by the youth over the NEET paper leak, the prime minister said that the government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. Sharing Modi’s message on social media over the issue, the CM said, “The Honourable Prime Minister has issued directives to the concerned departments to ensure that necessary measures are taken in this regard.” “This is among the important steps taken by the government to protect the interests of students. No one who wants to play with the future of the youth will be spared,” he added. The prime minister’s outreach to the youth came three days after thousands of students led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) took part in the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march against irregularities in the medical entrance exam and to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : The Assam Assembly on Thursday passed the Rs 2.85 lakh crore state Budget for 2026-27 financial year. With the passage of ‘The Assam Appropriation (No. II) Bill, 2026’, the state Budget for the next fiscal was passed, Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass said. On July 10, the Assam government had presented a Rs 2,85,084 crore Budget for the 2026-27 financial year, and proposed to raise the tax exemption limit for small tea growers by four times and cut VAT on piped natural gas by almost 10 percentage points. Presenting his maiden budget, Assam Finance Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah had also announced to continue all the major schemes rolled out during the last five years, but said persons practising polygamy will not be eligible for any benefits and government staff found guilty of the practice will face dismissal. Proposing a ‘green cess’ on polluting sectors, the Assam government had announced that two lakh people will be recruited over the next five years by filling existing vacancies and creating new posts across various departments. With a deficit of Rs 419.26 crore, Baruah had aimed for a fiscal deficit of 3 per cent of the state’s projected GSDP. (Source: PTI)        

IMPHAL : Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Wednesday said the prolonged crisis in the state has caused financial and mental hardships to the people, as his government distributed welfare benefits worth over Rs 91.66 crore to more than 2.4 lakh beneficiaries. Speaking at a programme organised by the Social Welfare Department, Singh said the state had gone through difficult times over the past three years, disrupting the lives of its people. “The prolonged crisis has caused financial and mental hardships to the common people to a great extent,” he said. The chief minister said the government had taken several initiatives to address the financial difficulties faced by the people. “This has been done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the guidance of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,” he said. Expressing confidence, Singh said he hoped that the distribution of these benefits would provide some relief to the people. He urged people from all communities to consider themselves as Manipuris and contribute towards building a better state. Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel said many families had faced immense hardship in recent years. “Women, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, widows and internally displaced persons (IDPs) have faced the greatest burden,” he said. He further said it is the shared responsibility of all to ensure that they receive the care, protection, support, and opportunities they deserve and that today’s event reflects the government’s strong commitment to inclusive development, social justice, and the welfare of every section of society. During the programme, benefits were distributed to nearly 2,40,758 beneficiaries with a total fund outlay of Rs 91,66,50,772. The beneficiaries received assistance under 17 different schemes of the Social Welfare Department. Singh also formally launched the Integrated Monthly Pension Processing System to ensure faster, transparent, and more efficient pension services. (Source: PTI)  

GUWAHATI : Twenty-one more people lost their lives and nearly 5.65 lakh were affected by floods in Assam with incessant rain across several districts deteriorating the overall situation on Wednesday, officials said. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority’s (ASDMA) daily flood report issued at midnight on Tuesday, more than 5,64,600 people have been hit by the deluge in Biswanath, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kamrup Metropolitan, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Sivasagar and Tinsukia districts. Thirteen people, including four women and two children, drowned in floodwaters in the Sivasagar district, followed by five, including two children, in Charaideo, two in Golaghat, and one woman in Jorhat in the last 24 hours, it added. With these fatalities, the total number of deaths in this year’s floods has increased to 31. The India Meteorological Department has issued a ‘yellow alert’ for Assam and predicted thunderstorms and heavy rains at isolated places over the next four days. The ‘yellow alert’ of the IMD stands for watch and be updated. IMD’s Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati said that the upper air cyclonic circulation over Central Assam and adjoining Nagaland between 1.5 and 3.1 km above mean sea level has become less marked. At present, the Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger mark at Neamatighat, while its tributaries Buridihing at Khowang, and Dhansiri at Golaghat and Numaligarh are also above the danger level. On the other hand, the Dikhou river at Sivasagar and Disang river at Nanglamuraghat are flowing above the highest flood level, the ASDMA said. Sivasagar is the worst-hit district with nearly 3.6 lakh people affected, followed by Jorhat with almost 88,000 and Charaideo with more than 72,500 reeling under floodwaters. The flood situation has worsened significantly since Monday night, when nearly 3.63 lakh people were affected across 15 districts. The ASDMA said the administration has been operating 273 relief camps and relief distribution centres in 10 districts, taking care of 12,284 displaced people at present. Multiple agencies, like the Army, NDRF, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Service, police and civil agencies, have rescued more than 6,000 people from different parts of Charaideo, Golaghat, Jorhat and Sivasagar, the report added. The authority has distributed 5,011.07 quintals of rice, 956.53 quintals of dal, 265.18 quintals of salt and 20,115.42 litres of mustard oil among the flood victims during the last 24 hours. At present, 872 villages are under water, and 24,210.35 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam, the ASDMA said. Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by floodwaters in different districts of the state. On account of widespread flooding, 1,85,029 domestic animals and poultry are affected across the state. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : The Assam government on Wednesday introduced an amendment bill in the Assembly to exempt acquisition of land for specified purposes from certain provisions of the existing principal Act. ‘The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2026’ was introduced in the House by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika, on behalf of Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta. The bill seeks to amend section 10A of the existing Act and exempt acquisition of land for specified purposes from application of chapter II and III of the principal Act, which broadly deals with social impact assessment and safeguarding land meant for agricultural purposes. Land required for projects related to national security or defence, rural infrastructure projects including electrification, health and education, and affordable housing and housing for the poor has sought to be exempted. Moreover, land for industrial area or estate set up by the state government and its undertakings, industrial corridors set up by the state government and its undertakings, and infrastructure projects including under PPP mode where ownership of land vests with the state and planned urban development projects in and around airports will also be exempted. The state government will ensure that the bare minimum land required for the projects will be notified for exemption from the provisions of the principal Act, as per the proposed amendment bill. (Source: PTI)        

IMPHAL : Suspected militants blew up a bailey bridge over the Namban river in Manipur’s Kamjong district using explosives, officials said on Wednesday. The incident took place between Phange and Chatric villages in Naga-majority Kamjong district in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The 130 ft bailey bridge was constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), and served as a vital road link connecting several villages, including Chatric and neighbouring villages, with the district headquarters. The attackers also set ablaze a pick-up vehicle parked on the bank of the Namban Lok River. Preliminary investigations indicate that explosives were used to destroy the bridge, they said. Meanwhile, Tangkhul Naga body, Tangkhul Naga Long, in a statement said, “In the early hours of Wednesday, the 130-foot span bailey bridge constructed under PMGSY in the year 2016 collapsed at the midpoint caused by the impact of heavy bomb blast and had consequently cut off the key connectivity between Kamjong District headquarters and Sahamphung Sub-Divisional headquarters.” (Source: PTI)

GUWAHATI : The toll in Assam floods increased to 11 with one more fatality reported on Tuesday even as over 3.10 lakh people remained affected by the deluge in 11 districts, officials said. Several major rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Dikhow, Desang and Dhansiri, were flowing above the danger level in different parts of the state, with some of the water bodies having breached the “extreme flood” level. Relief and rescue operations were being carried out by multiple agencies, including the Army, NDRF, SDRF and Fire and Emergency Services. Train services remained affected for the second day as floodwaters inundated tracks in parts of Upper Assam, with the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) cancelling, short-terminating or diverting several trains and also announcing special trains for stranded passengers. An Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) statement said that one fatality was reported in Charaideo district, taking the toll in this year’s floods to 11. More than 3,10,800 people remained affected in 758 villages in Biswanath, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Sivasagar and Tinsukia districts. In worst-hit Sivasagar district, the Dikhow and Desang rivers flowed above the “extreme flood level” in Sivsagar town and Nanglamoraghat, respectively, the ASDMA said. The Dhansiri River was in “severe flood situation” at Numaligarh in Golaghat district, it added. Other rivers in spate were the Brahmaputra at Neamatighat (Jorhat) and Buridihing at Khowang (Dibrugarh). Over 3.63 lakh people were affected by floods in 15 districts of the state on Monday. More than 9,000 people have been evacuated from different areas by the rescue agencies using boats, the ASDMA said. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was deployed in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts, while SDRF teams were engaged in Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Morigaon, Hojai, Kamrup Metro, Kamrup, Nalbari and Barpeta. A total of 52 relief camps were operational, where 12,720 displaced people are currently taking shelter. A crop area of 14,411.267 hectares has also been submerged, the ASDMA release said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Monday that cabinet ministers have been stationed in the affected districts to supervise relief measures, while MPs and MLAs from the flood-hit areas have also been asked to remain on the ground. NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that due to severe flooding in and around Simaluguri town in Sivasagar district, train services on the Simaluguri-Namtiali and Simaluguri-Selenghat sections have been suspended. The NFR said additional special trains are being run to assist passengers affected by the disruptions. “These special additional trains will run till Friday and are expected to provide significant relief to stranded passengers. Moreover, regular services of some other express trains between Mariani and Guwahati are also operational,” the NFR official added. (Source: PTI)    

GANGTOK : Ten people were killed after a tunnel under construction collapsed due to a landslide in Sikkim’s Namchi district a day ago, police said on Tuesday. The number of victims could go up as search and rescue operations were underway, a Namchi district official said. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said the tunnel of NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Project at Samardung in Jholungey caved in due to a landslide. A total of 25 people, including project officials and workers, were trapped inside the ADIT-3 tunnel when it suddenly collapsed on Monday, he said. The CM said Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with him and enquired about the rescue operations. “Ten bodies have been recovered till 9.30 am on Tuesday. Seven of the deceased have been identified, while three unidentified bodies were sent to the District Hospital Singtam and STNM Hospital,” the Namchi police said in a statement. Of the seven identified deceased, four were from West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri, one each from Assam, Punjab and Uttarakhand’s Dehradun, and one was a resident of Namchi, it said. “My heartfelt condolences go to the families of the workers, who have lost their lives. In this hour of grief, the thoughts and prayers of the entire state are with the bereaved families, and we stand firmly by them during this difficult time,” Tamang said in a statement. The chief minister said he was closely monitoring the ongoing rescue operation. The teams of the Namchi district administration, Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), Sikkim Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Pakyong and Siliguri, along with other specialised agencies, were working tirelessly to recover the bodies of the remaining workers trapped inside the tunnel, Tamang said. “Following the tragic incident at the under-construction tunnel of the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Project at Samardung, Jholungey, in Namchi District, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with me to enquire about the situation and the ongoing rescue operations,” the chief minister said on X. Tamang also said, “His (PM) words of concern and compassion for the affected workers and their families, along with his assurance of every possible assistance from the Government of India, have provided immense strength and reassurance to the people of Sikkim during this difficult hour.” The chief minister said he has directed the authorities to provide every possible assistance, expedite the rescue efforts, and ensure that the highest standards of safety are strictly maintained throughout the operation. On Monday, the district officials had said around 27 workers were trapped inside the tunnel under construction after a landslide blocked its entrance and triggered a suspected gas leak in the afternoon. The rescue operation had been complicated by the presence of gas inside the tunnel, with several personnel experiencing dizziness and losing consciousness while attempting to reach the trapped workers, they said. The gas is believed to be naturally emanating from underground strata or rock formations disturbed by the landslide, they said. (Source: PTI)