REGIONAL

IMPHAL : BJP candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections, Adhikarimayum Sharda Devi, on Friday said she would first focus on the restoration of peace and resettlement of internally displaced people in restive Manipur, if she is elected to the Upper House of Parliament. Sharda Devi’s comment comes a day after the party nominated her for the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections. The party’s state unit chief also urged the legislators to vote for her and allow her to serve the state. Sharda Devi’s election is almost certain as the BJP has 37 MLAs in the 60-member assembly. “I am deeply humbled and grateful to BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Nitin Nabin, for giving me the ticket to contest the Rajya Sabha elections from the state,” she said. Sharda Devi, who had served as the national vice president for the party from 2014 to 2016, will file her nomination on June 8. In a post on X, she said, “This nomination is not merely a personal milestone but a solemn responsibility to serve the people of Manipur and contribute towards the vision of a stronger, united, and developed India under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi.” She pledged to work “tirelessly for the welfare of the people and the progress of our beloved state and the country”. “If elected to the Rajya Sabha, I will focus on and take all the possible steps to restore peace in the state and look into the development requirements,” Sharda Devi said. The BJP candidate also said she would be “doing everything in her capacity to rehabilitate and resettle all the internally displaced people in the state”. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur since May 2023. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : BJP MLAs Ranoj Pegu, Ashok Singhal, Biswajit Daimary and AGP’s Keshab Mahanta were among the 12 legislators who took oath as ministers on Friday as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expanded his cabinet, taking the strength of the council of ministers to 17. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to the MLAs at a function at the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir here. The chief minister, Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Pabitra Margherita, Assam Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass, BJP state president Dilip Saikia and several NDA MLAs were present on the occasion. Among the new faces in the cabinet are BJP’s Ashwini Ray Sarkar, Nandini Devi and Sushanta Borgohain. AGP’s Mahanta, who was in Himanta Biswa Sarma’s previous cabinet, was included in the new council of ministers. BJP MLAs Bimal Borah, Jayant Mallabaruah, Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul and Pijush Hazarika, who took the oath, had also served as ministers in the previous Himanta Biswa Sarma government. Rai took the oath in Hindi and all others in the Assamese language. The strength of the Assam cabinet will now be 17, including the CM, with four other ministers sworn in on May 12. The optimal strength of the state cabinet is 19 in the 126-member Assam assembly. The ministers sworn in earlier are AGP’s Atul Bora, BPF’s Charan Boro and BJP’s Ajanta Neog and Rameshwar Teli. The new cabinet will have 13 BJP ministers, two from the AGP and one from BPF. Neog and Nilima Devi are the two women ministers in the cabinet, and the number remains the same as in the previous cabinet. The expanded ministry represents several ethnic communities and geographical regions. There are two representatives, Kaushik Rai and Krishnendu Paul, from the Barak Valley, while BPF’s Boro and BJP’s Daimary belong to the Bodo community. Besides, Pegu is from the Mising tribe, Ray Sarkar from the Koch Rajbongshi and Borgohain from the Ahom community. Borgohain, along with Borah, is from upper Assam, Singhal from the northern part of the state, Pijush Hazarika from central Assam and Mallabaruah from lower Assam. Sarma was sworn in as the chief minister along with four ministers on May 12. The NDA won a record 102 seats in the 126-member assembly, including 82 from the BJP. The BJP allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), bagged 10 seats each. (Source: PTI)    

GANGTOK : Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang highlighted the state’s key development priorities, including organic agriculture, infrastructure, tourism and connectivity, during the 73rd Plenary Meeting of the North Eastern Council held in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong, an official statement said on Friday. The meeting held on Thursday was chaired by Union Home Minister and NEC chairman Amit Shah and was attended by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, governors and chief ministers of the northeastern states. According to the statement, Tamang in his address said Sikkim’s development agenda is aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and focuses on sectors such as organic farming, education, skill development, MSMEs, innovation, tourism and infrastructure. He stressed the need to strengthen agricultural value chains and market linkages across the Northeast and sought continuation of the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) scheme to sustain the momentum of organic farming. The CM also requested the Centre to extend the benefits of the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP) beyond 2027 to support industrial growth and investment in the region, it said. The statemnt said that as convenor of the High-Level Task Force on Agriculture and Horticulture for Addressing Gaps in Value Chains and Market Linkages in the North Eastern Region, Tamang presented the task force’s recommendations aimed at improving market access, boosting agricultural productivity, promoting value addition and ensuring sustainable growth in the agriculture and horticulture sectors. It said that Tamang raised concerns over recurring flash floods in the state and pressed for a permanent solution to connectivity issues along National Highway 10, the state’s lifeline. Tamang also urged the early completion of key road, rail, air and digital infrastructure projects and sought immediate restoration measures for the Chungthang-Lachen road damaged in the Tarum Chu area of North Sikkim, the statement said. The CM said the deliberations reflected a shared commitment among northeastern states and the Centre towards promoting sustainable and inclusive development across the region, it said. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Women from Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Assam created a record by planting over one crore saplings across the state on the occasion of World Environment Day on Friday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Sarma, in a social media post, said that Assam achieved a historic milestone with the planting of 1.02 crore saplings in just eight hours. ”In just over 8 hours, over 1.02 crore saplings have been planted by the people, in an effort led by Assam’s enterprising #NariShakti, setting a new record in our green efforts. Compliments to all my sisters for achieving this feat”, Sarma posted in X. The Chief Minister’s Office in another post said that on the occasion of World Environment Day, ”women from SHGs and the public enthusiastically responded to the call of HCM Dr @himantabiswa to plant 1 crore saplings across Assam as part of a statewide green initiative”. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya also joined the nationwide observance of World Environment Day by planting saplings at Jyoti Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir in Guwahati, where the oath-taking ceremony for 12 ministers took place earlier in the day. Acharya urged citizens to actively contribute to increasing green cover and protecting the environment for the well-being of present and future generations. Referring to this year’s theme, “Inspired by Nature for Climate, for Future,” he emphasised that safeguarding nature is essential for addressing climate challenges and ensuring a sustainable future. The governor also called upon people from all walks of life to adopt environmentally responsible practices and participate in afforestation initiatives, noting that every sapling planted today is an investment for a healthier and greener tomorrow. The chief minister had also planted a sapling at the same venue after the oath-taking ceremony. (Source: PTI)

SHILLONG : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired the 73rd plenary session of the North Eastern Council, where leaders from the eight northeastern states resolved to work towards a stronger and more prosperous region and deliberated on the North East Vision Plan 2047. The session brought together governors, chief ministers, deputy chief ministers and senior officials from across the Northeast. “Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister for DoNER Jyotiraditya M Scindia, governors, chief ministers, deputy chief ministers, and senior officials assembled ahead of the plenary deliberations,” the NEC said in a post on X. All the leaders reaffirmed their collective commitment to the growth, connectivity and prosperity of the region, it added. Union Minister of the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Scindia said all the leaders are united in their resolve to create a “stronger and more prosperous” Northeast. According to an official communique, stakeholders from all eight northeastern states discussed the North East Vision Plan 2047 and key regional development priorities. “The plenary session discussed and deliberated on progress made by the CM High-Level Task Forces constituted for critical sectors of regional development,” the DoNER Ministry said on X. The session also reviewed important initiatives of the DoNER ministry, including updates on major schemes and programmes, outcomes of the North East Investment Summit and Bankers’ Conclave, it added.   The ministry said leaders analysed youth-focused initiatives, efforts related to tourism and logistics, and the region’s unique selling proposition (USP) projects. Presentations were made on tourism, agriculture and horticulture, investment promotion, self-reliance in milk, eggs, fish and meat production, sports promotion, economic corridor development, infrastructure and connectivity, and handloom and handicrafts. “The deliberations are expected to facilitate coordinated action among states and stakeholders for achieving shared development goals,” an official said. The North East Vision Plan 2047 seeks to provide a long-term roadmap for transforming the region into a vibrant hub of economic growth, connectivity, innovation, sustainability and cultural prosperity by the centenary year of India’s independence. Earlier in the day, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma welcomed Shah to Shillong for the meeting. “Glad to welcome Hon’ble Union Home Minister and Chairman of the North Eastern Council, Shri @AmitShah ji to Shillong for the 73rd NEC Plenary Session,” he said. Ahead of the main session, a pre-Plenary meeting was held, bringing together senior officials from the government of India and all eight Northeastern states on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by chief secretaries, state planning secretaries, senior officers of DoNER ministry, NEC officials and other key stakeholders. The North Eastern Council, established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971, serves as the apex regional planning body for the Northeastern region and plays a pivotal role in fostering coordinated development and strengthening cooperative federalism in the region. It is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the region, which consists of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) on Thursday said it will implement the Cell Broadcast System (CBS), a public warning mechanism launched by the central government, across the northeastern state in the coming days. Developed by C-DOT under the Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Ministry of Home Affairs, the system enables authorities to send instant, geo-targeted emergency alerts directly to all mobile phones in a specific area. The CBS has been made available for implementation across India, including Assam, and a nationwide test was conducted in May. The system has already proven effective during real disasters in several states. “However, in the states including Assam wherein, Model Code of Conduct was in force, the test was excluded. Hence now, the Government of Assam is planning to implement the activity across the state as instructed by the Government of India,” ASDMA said in a statement. The CBS involves dissemination of critical and time-sensitive messages for impending disasters to all mobile devices within a designated geographical area, irrespective of whether the recipients are residents or visitors. “During the implementation of the said CBS, the citizens may receive emergency alerts on their mobile devices pertaining to disasters. The CBS alerts are highly sensitive, which trigger a loud audio alarm/notification on mobile handsets for approximately 30 seconds whenever received,” the ASDMA said. These alerts are official messages issued only by authorised government agencies during genuine emergencies such as extreme weather conditions like storms, heavy rain, lightning, cyclones, floods, flash floods or other disasters like gas leaks, it said. The alert would appear as a pop-up message on a person’s mobile phone accompanied by a distinctive loud tone and vibration. On supported handsets, the message would also be read aloud. “The CBS system is far more reliable than traditional SMS alerts. It works even during network congestion, reaches all mobile users in the targeted area, including roaming users. It supports messages in multiple languages and is functional across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks,” the ASDMA said. Citizens are also requested to share the information with family members, especially the elderly and those living in remote areas, it added. (Source: PTI)