REGIONAL

  NEW DELHI :  Domestic cooking gas LPG price has been raised by Rs 29 per cylinder, marking the second increase in three months as state-owned fuel retailers continue to grapple with elevated global energy costs. The price of a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder in Delhi will rise to Rs 942 from Rs 913 with effect from June 7, according to industry sources. The increase follows a Rs 60-per-cylinder hike on March 7 after the conflict in West Asia disrupted global energy supplies and drove up international fuel prices. Industry sources said that the increase had only partly offset losses incurred on domestic LPG sales. State-run oil marketing companies were estimated to be losing about Rs 703 on every LPG cylinder sold before the latest revision, the sources said. The LPG price hike comes amid a broader round of fuel price increases. Petrol and diesel prices have been raised by a cumulative Rs 7.50 per litre since mid-May, while compressed natural gas (CNG) rates have increased by about Rs 6 per kg. Despite the recent increases, oil companies continue to sell petrol and diesel below cost, incurring losses of around Rs 11 per litre on petrol and Rs 33.6 per litre on diesel, according to industry sources. The government has so far avoided a full pass-through of higher international energy prices to consumers, absorbing part of the increase through state-owned fuel retailers as global crude oil and fuel markets remain volatile. (Source: PTI)

IMPHAL : Security forces have asked village authorities and civil society in Manipur’s Ukhrul to sensitise youths to not get carried away by violent incidents in other districts, as they carried out a combing operation a day after three people were killed in a gun attack in Kangpokpi. “To prevent any spillover of recent violence in Kotlen, security forces undertook a combing operation on Saturday in areas around Litan, Mahadev and Sinakeithel” and highway areas in Tangkhul Naga-majority Ukhrul district which shares boundaries with Kuki-majority Kangpokpi district,” police said in a statement. The development came in the wake of the killing of three civilians in a gun attack at Loibol Khullen village in Kangpokpi district on Friday. Police said villages of both communities were patrolled jointly, and bunkers were traced and dismantled. “Village authorities and civil society organisations were approached for their essential support and were assured of the presence of security forces in the area to ward off any threats”, it said. “They were also requested to sensitise their youths not to get carried away by incidents in other areas and indulge in violence near their villages,” police said. (Source: PTI)    

PYNURSLA :  Residents of a village along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya held a demonstration on Sunday demanding that the fencing be done along the zero line, else they would get isolated from the rest of the country. Located virtually on the zero line in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district, Lyngkhong is one of the few villages where homes stand just metres from a settlement in Bangladesh. According to international convention, fencing has to be at least 150 yards from the zero line. Locals say the village had been separated from Bangladesh largely by a bamboo fence erected by villagers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and nothing has changed much. On Sunday, they staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to the sub-divisional officer of Pynursla, seeking an immediate halt to the ongoing fencing work. “We are not against border fencing, but we want the fence to be erected at the zero line so that our village remains inside India and within the fenced area,” village head Ramu told PTI. He said the proposed alignment would leave Lyngkhong outside the security barrier, raising concerns about access, security and the future of the settlement. Echoing similar concerns, Rima Khongsdir, a local, said, “If the fence comes up in its present alignment, our village will be left outside. We are worried about our future and want the state government to listen to our concerns and take them up with the Government of India.” Officials said construction of the border fence is continuing as part of efforts to secure the India-Bangladesh frontier. Meghalaya has a 444 km border with Bangladesh, less than 80 km of which remains unfenced due to local issues and difficult terrain. A senior official of the Border Security Force said an outpost has already been established in Lyngkhong to provide security and assistance to residents. “The BSF has a presence in the village and all necessary security measures are being taken to ensure the safety of the residents,” he said. A senior Home Department official said India has taken up with Bangladesh the issue of constructing a single-row fence along the zero line in areas where human settlements are likely to be affected. “Talks have been initiated on the proposal to erect a single-line fence at the zero line. However, the new government in Bangladesh is yet to take a decision on the matter,” the official said. (Source: PTI)  

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced the allocations of ‘Guardian Districts’ to his 16 cabinet colleagues to look after the developmental works in association with local administration. As ‘Guardian Minister’, they will be responsible for the smooth implementation of all schemes and programmes in their respective districts. “I am pleased to announce the allocations of Guardian Districts to the Hon’ble Ministers of the Government of Assam… I am confident that the Hon’ble Ministers will work closely with the district administrations to further accelerate our journey towards progress and prosperity,” Sarma said in a post on X. Accordingly, Rameswar Teli has been given the charge of Tinsukia and Jorhat, while Kamrup Metropolitan and Dhemaji are assigned to Atul Bora. Kokrajhar, Baksa and Chirang are allotted to Charan Boro, Morigaon and Kamrup to Ajanta Neog, Bongaigaon and Barpeta to Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Darrang and Dhubri to Ashok Singhal, Sivasagar and Charaideo to Bimal Bora, and Nalbari and Sonitpur to Biswajit Daimary. Sarma said Jayanta Mallabaruah have been given Tamulpur and Goalpara, while Sribhumi and Hailakandi have been allocated to Kaushik Rai, South Salmara-Mankachar and North Lakhimpur to Keshab Mahanta, and Dima Hasao and Cachar to Krishnendu Paul. Nilima Devi will look after Bajali and Udalguri, while Biswanath and Golaghat have been assigned to Ranoj Pegu and Majuli and Dibrugarh to Susanta Borgohain. Pijush Hazarika will be the Guardian Minister for Nagaon, Hojai, Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday attacked the BJP-led state government over rising prices of essential commodities, alleging that it has failed to meet the aspirations of the people. He claimed that the government’s inability to control prices of essential goods and fuel had exposed its “anti-people character”. “Even after the public voted overwhelmingly to bring them to victory, the BJP-led government has failed to meet the hopes and aspirations of the common people,” he told reporters here after a review meeting on the Congress’ poll debacle. He alleged that the state leadership was preoccupied with cabinet-related decisions instead of addressing public concerns. “The CM remains busy trying to appease several disgruntled MLAs, while he has forgotten the suffering inflicted on the public due to price hikes and an uncontrolled market,” he said. Gogoi mentioned that the Congress is reaching out to the people with fresh planning and aims to rebuild a ‘New Congress’ as desired by them. He shared that today’s meeting at Rajiv Bhawan was organised to review the circumstances that led to the Congress’s setback in the Assembly elections, and to discuss how the party will work firmly on behalf of the people in the upcoming by-elections after completing this analysis. “The Congress has dispatched observers to all 126 Assembly constituencies to prepare detailed reports, and discussions are underway with the central leadership,” he said. He added that the party was also strategising for the upcoming by-election in the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency. A bypoll in Nagaon has been necessitated after former Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi resigned from the party ahead of the Assembly elections and later joined the BJP. He subsequently won from the Dispur Assembly seat. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Assam’s Manas National Park & Tiger Reserve (MNPTR) on Sunday rolled out the state’s first grass nursery to protect the endangered ecosystem as it has lost more than 60 per cent of the park’s grasslands over the past 35 years. The park authorities also released 15 captive-bred pygmy hogs, the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig, into the forest under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP). “In a major step towards securing the future of Assam’s endangered grassland ecosystems, the state’s first dedicated grass nursery was inaugurated at Bansbari Range of Manas National Park,” MNPTR said in a statement. The nursery has been developed over an area of 7.5 bigha (approximately one hectare) with financial support from the state Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), it added. “The nursery will serve as a long-term seed source for grassland restoration and expansion across Manas and other protected areas of Assam,” MNPTR said. The initiative comes at a crucial time for Manas as recent assessments indicate that the reserve has lost over 60 per cent of its historical grassland cover during the last three and a half decades, it added. “Grasslands that once covered approximately 384 sq km (45 per cent of the landscape) in 1990 have declined to about 155 sq km (18 per cent) today, primarily due to invasive species, woodland encroachment, altered river dynamics and prolonged interruption of habitat management in earlier decades,” MNPTR said. It is estimated that nearly 6 sq km of grassland is lost annually, underscoring the urgent need for restoration interventions, it added. The project marks another important milestone in Manas’ ongoing efforts to restore one of Asia’s most important riverine grassland ecosystems and secure the ecological integrity of the UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site for future generations. In the new project, a total of 16 species of native grasses were collected from different habitats within Manas since November 2025 and raised in specially prepared nursery beds. “The nursery was established in May 2026 and is expected to play a critical role in supporting large-scale ecological restoration efforts,” the authorities said. These alluvial grasslands form the ecological backbone of Manas and support globally threatened wildlife, including the pygmy hog, bengal florican, hispid hare, one-horned rhinoceros, wild water buffalo, swamp deer, Asian elephant and tiger. Speaking on the occasion, Assam Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Vinay Gupta stated that restoration of grasslands is among the highest conservation priorities for Manas National Park. “The newly established grass nursery will ensure a sustainable supply of native grass species required for habitat restoration, invasive species management and recovery of critical wildlife habitats,” he added. Meanwhile, 15 captive-bred pygmy hogs were released in the same function into the Kuribeel grasslands of Manas National Park under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP). The pygmy hog or Porcula Salvania is the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig, which has been threatened with extinction. Commenting on the development, Gupta said, “The reintroduction of the endangered pygmy hog in MNP is a remarkable conservation achievement. Such efforts are vital for restoring grassland ecosystems and safeguarding threatened species.” This is the sixth release of pygmy hogs into MNP since 2020, which takes the total number of the endangered species released by the programme up to 78. “This release marks a true homecoming for the pygmy hog. The founder population for the conservation breeding programme was originally captured from the Kuribeel grasslands of the Bansbari Range in Manas, where these animals have now been reintroduced. “With no confirmed signs of pygmy hogs in Kuribeel for the past nine years, this release represents a significant milestone in the recovery of the species and the restoration of its historical range,” the statement said. The PHCP, a collaborative initiative involving the Assam Forest Department, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the IUCN SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group and Ecosystems-India, with Aaranyak as a key implementation partner, has been instrumental in rescuing the critically endangered pygmy hog from the brink of extinction after the species was feared extinct during the 1970s. “Over the next five years, the PHCP plans to release around 80 Pygmy Hogs, with the goal of rebuilding a thriving wild population of approximately 300 animals by 2040,” MNPTR said. The PHCP started its work in 1996 when two males and two females were captured. The reintroduction of captive-bred hogs to the wild began in 2008. Prior to releases in Manas National Park, the PHCP selected other appropriate grasslands like Orang National Park in Assam for reintroductions of the pygmy hog. The initiative has so far successfully bred and reintroduced 194 hogs in Assam, and for the first time since the reintroduction programme began, it may now outnumber their current global wild population, MNPTR said. During the day, the Manas Tiger Reserve honoured two veteran camp elephants upon their retirement from active service, while inducting five newly trained elephants into conservation duty. The ceremony featured a ‘Guard of Honour’ to the elephants, felicitation with traditional gamochas, ceremonial feeding with sugarcane and fruits, and a colourful elephant parade. The newly inducted elephants, having completed three months of training under experienced mahouts, will now assist in anti-poaching patrols, wildlife monitoring, habitat management and other conservation activities, MNPTR said. Speaking on the occasion, MNPTR Field Director C Ramesh highlighted that camp elephants remain an integral part of conservation management in Manas, particularly in the vast grassland and forest landscapes where they provide safe and effective access for protection and monitoring activities. (Source: PTI)

GUWAHATI : Rich tributes were paid to Assam’s first chief minister Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi on the occasion of his 136th birth anniversary on Saturday. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya in a message said that Bardoloi’s “profound patriotism, towering personality and visionary political decisions have enriched and safeguarded the Assamese and the state”. “On the birth anniversary of this great son of Assam, I offer my heartfelt respects,” he added. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a post on X, said, “Remembering Bharat Ratna Lokpriya Gopinath Bardoloi on his Jayanti. The architect of modern Assam, his leadership came at a defining moment in our history.” ”Through his courage and vision, he safeguarded Assam’s interests and played a pivotal role in ensuring that Assam remains an integral part of India,” he said. The Guwahati airport, named after the first chief minister, also observed his birth anniversary, with employees asserting that he was a visionary leader whose contributions continue to inspire generations. The team at the terminal also distributed saplings to passengers to mark the occasion. (Source: PTI)  

GANGTOK :  Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta reviewed a host of road and infrastructure projects in Sikkim and directed officials to expedite ongoing projects and fast-track the upcoming ones. Tamta travelled along NH-10 and NH-510 and inspected development activities in Gyalshing district, where he reviewed projects such as the Ayush Hospital and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, besides assessing the implementation of various central schemes, an official release said here. The minister also took stock of several major highway projects proposed for the state. These include the 15.30-km Rhenock-Rongli road project, which has received in-principle approval at an estimated cost of Rs 595 crore, and the upgradation of a 25.75-km stretch of NH-10 with a projected investment of Rs 1,018 crore. Proposed bypasses and realignment works between Rangpo-Rorathang and Melli-Singtam were also reviewed, with the projects aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving connectivity across key corridors, the release said. Tamta also inspected the progress of the Gangtok Bypass and directed officials to ensure its completion by November 2026. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has completed six projects covering 58 km at a cost of about Rs 1,323 crore, while seven more projects spanning 147 km and worth Rs 3,749 crore are under implementation, the release said. The ministry’s Road and National Highways Wing has completed 117 km of road projects costing Rs 1,202 crore, with another 50 km under construction and 58 km of new projects in the pipeline. The release further said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed the 59-km Gangtok-Sherathang-Nathu La stretch of NH-310, a strategic route leading to the India-China border. Tamta directed BRO officials to create additional lay-bys for tourist vehicles and strengthen landslide mitigation measures along vulnerable stretches. The minister stressed the Centre’s commitment to improving Sikkim’s road network, saying better connectivity would boost economic growth, tourism, trade and access to remote areas. (Source: PTI)  

TEZPUR : The two-day Tezpur Litchi Festival 2026 began here on Saturday, showcasing the region’s celebrated GI-tagged fruit and its expanding footprint in international markets. The event has brought together farmers, exporters, scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to explore new opportunities for the fruit that has become synonymous with the town’s agricultural identity. A major highlight of the inaugural day was the announcement of fresh export initiatives by Sonitpur District Commissioner Anand Kumar Das. He said one tonne of Tezpur litchi has been earmarked for export to Dubai, while arrangements have been finalized to send 500 kilograms to Singapore. In a symbolic gesture, 100 specially packaged boxes of premium Tezpur litchis will be dispatched to the Prime Minister’s Office, Das added. The festival is being organised at multiple venues, including the District Library Auditorium, the adjoining library campus, and Anand Chandra Agarwala Park. Proceedings began with a tribute to renowned Assamese litterateur Padmanath Gohain Barua, who had pioneered improved litchi cultivation in the region. The inaugural session drew participation from a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including elected representatives, agricultural experts, exporters, and growers. Entrepreneur Biswajit Saikia showcased innovative litchi-based products, including dehydrated litchi with an extended shelf life of nearly six months. He also shared plans to develop honey and other value-added products linked to litchi cultivation, highlighting the growing scope of agro-processing in the sector. A commemorative publication chronicling the journey of Tezpur litchi—from its historical roots to future market prospects—was released during the programme. The Department of Posts also marked the occasion by unveiling a special postal cover dedicated to the fruit. Exhibitions, documentary screenings, product displays, and sales counters were also organised. A technical seminar on food technology and litchi processing brought together experts and entrepreneurs to discuss value addition, branding, and market expansion strategies. Ten progressive farmers were honoured for their contributions to boosting litchi production and quality. As part of an awareness drive, the Indian Army distributed litchi saplings among NCC cadets, encouraging youth participation in horticulture and environmental conservation. The festival also highlighted the growing commercial potential of Tezpur litchi through innovative products such as litchi chips. Stakeholders claimed that these initiatives will open new avenues for entrepreneurship, increase farmers’ income, and further strengthen the global reputation of Assam’s prized GI-tagged fruit. (Source: PTI)  

GUWAHATI : six types of storks have been recorded during a survey in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNTPR), officials said on Saturday. Altogether 271 raptors and 266 storks were found during the survey conducted by the KNTPR and researchers from various universities of Assam in February-March. The study was held across all administrative ranges under the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, and the report was released on the occasion of World Environment Day on Friday. Most of these species are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, which provides the highest degree of protection, prohibiting hunting, poaching, and unauthorised commercial trade of the birds. The park is home to a wide variety of diurnal and nocturnal raptors, which include eagles, falcons, vultures, buzzards and owls, while numerous resident and migratory stork species are found in its vast network of wetlands. These include Slender-billed vulture, Red-headed vulture, Pallas’s Fish Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Dusky Eagle-Owl, Greater Adjutant stork, Lesser Adjutant, Black-necked Stork and Black Stork. A total of 112 species of raptors are recorded from India, with Kaziranga National Park and the adjoining landscape harbours about 50 species of raptors. The state’s rich, diverse wetlands and Himalayan foothills provide critical habitats for these birds of prey. The survey of storks and raptors reveals a striking diversity of these birds across three administrative divisions, officials said. Kaziranga National Park reveals the highest number of raptors with 21 species and 5 species of storks, followed by Biswanath Wildlife Division with 20 species of raptors and 6 species of storks. The Nagaon Wildlife Division has 14 species of raptors and 5 species of storks. Among the stork species, Asian Openbill is the most abundant with 92 individual records across all divisions and Greater adjutant stork is the rarest species with only three individual sightings. Among the raptors, Himalayan Griffon vulture is the most common bird of prey with 69 individual sightings, while Booted eagle and the White-tailed eagle are the rarest species with only one individual sighting each. Kaziranga’s landscape also serves as a last stronghold for the enigmatic Pallas’s fish eagle. These findings underline Kaziranga’s importance for conservation and highlight priorities including nest and floodplain habitat protection, mitigation of powerline electrocution, continued telemetry and international collaboration to secure the species’ remaining populations, officials said. Nesting locations from the current year were also included in the overall analysis. The findings will contribute to ongoing efforts to protect these threatened raptor and stork species and enhance the biodiversity of the park’s diverse habitats. (Source: PTI)