REGIONAL

KOHIMA : Nagaland Police has announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for credible information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for the July 13 IED blast in Chumoukedima district. An Assam Rifles jawan was killed, and five others — four security personnel and a civilian — were injured in a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) blast along Chümoukedima (A) village–Shokhuvi road in Nagaland’s Chümoukedima district on July 13. A public notice issued by Commissioner of Police Dimapur, Aotula T Imchen, said the Dimapur Police Commissionerate is carrying out an intensive investigation to identify and apprehend all persons involved in planning, facilitating, executing or aiding what it described as a “heinous terrorist act.” The reward would be granted for credible information leading to: identification or arrest of the perpetrators or their associates; identification of persons involved in planning, financing, harbouring, transporting or facilitating the offence; recovery of explosives, explosive components, weapons, communication devices, vehicles or any other incriminating material connected with the case; and discovery of any hideout, safe house or logistical support network linked to the offenders. Police have appealed to members of the public to share any information related to the case, however, insignificant it may appear, by contacting 7085055003 or 7085055011, both of which are also available on WhatsApp. The Dimapur Police Commissionerate assured that the identity of informants would be kept strictly confidential and protected in accordance with the law, while anonymous information would also be accepted. It said the reward would be released only after verification that the information had materially contributed to the detection of the case, recovery of evidence or apprehension of the offenders, subject to approval by the competent authority. The police further urged citizens to remain vigilant and cooperate with law enforcement agencies, assuring that all information received would be acted upon promptly and discreetly in the interest of public safety and national security. (Source: PTI)      

GUWAHATI : Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on Saturday discussed with stakeholders associated with the tourism sector in Kaziranga National Park, inhabited by the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, to chart a sustainable conservation and tourism roadmap. The participants at the meeting also deliberated on preparations for the next wildlife tourism season, an official statement said. The meeting was attended by representatives from the tourism industry, local stakeholders and officials of the Forest Department. The discussed measures aimed at improving visitor facilities, strengthening wildlife conservation and enhancing coordination among all agencies involved in the management of Kaziranga, an official statement said. Addressing the media after the meeting, the minister said the objective of the consultation was to prepare well in advance for the next tourism season by incorporating practical suggestions from all stakeholders. He requested the stakeholders to submit their recommendations in writing to his department within the next 10 days so that they could be examined and incorporated into the action plan. “I will return to Kaziranga to review the recommendations and finalise our roadmap for the coming tourism season,” he said. Baruah said that his previous experience as the state’s tourism minister has given him a close understanding of Kaziranga’s strengths as well as the challenges faced by the tourism sector. He said the Forest Department would work in close consultation with stakeholders to identify priority interventions for conservation, visitor management and tourism development. Highlighting the importance of institutional coordination, Baruah said the Forest and Tourism departments would work together to ensure balanced development while safeguarding the ecological integrity of KNP. Referring to experiences from other wildlife destinations in the country, he said there is considerable scope to increase tourism revenue through better facilities, including quality accommodation for different categories of visitors, without compromising environmental safeguards. The minister added that increased revenue generated through responsible tourism would directly support wildlife conservation, habitat management and other developmental works within protected areas. On the issue of year-round tourism, Baruah said that tourism activities inside the core area of KNP cannot continue throughout the year due to ecological requirements, including the annual flood cycle that sustains the Park’s unique biodiversity. However, the department would explore options for promoting tourism-related activities during the off-season so that local stakeholders, including hotels and tourism service providers, could sustain their livelihoods throughout the year without affecting wildlife conservation, the minister added. The park is not just about one-horned rhinos and tigers but is also home to elephants, wild water buffalo, and several bird species. Ganges River Dolphins are also found in the rivers that crisscross the park. (Source: PTI)    

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that he held discussions with ‘Dhurandhar’ director Aditya Dhar for a movie on legendary Ahom general Lachit Borphukan. Sarma asserted that a grand-scale Hindi film on Borphukan will further encapsulate him and his heroics at the national and international level. “The movie ‘Dhurandhar’ was a big hit. Aditya Dhar was the director and he is among the best known names among his contemporaries,” the CM said during a Facebook Live on Thursday evening. Borphukan was a legendary army commander of the Ahom kingdom (1228-1826), and is known for his leadership in the 1671 ‘Battle of Saraighat’, which thwarted a drawn-out attempt by the Mughal force to take back Assam. Sarma said he has already spoken to Dhar for a film on Borphukan for a pan-India audience, and the National Award winning filmmaker has told him he will meet the chief minister in August to take the discussion forward. “I think if our government can produce a film on Lachit Borphukan, we can make his heroics known globally. And, it will be a special achievement for us,” Sarma asserted. The state government’s budget for 2026-27, which was laid in the assembly on July 10, has proposed films on the lives of Borphukan and freedom fighter Kushal Konwar. (Source: PTI)    

TEZPUR : Three human trafficking victims, including a minor, were rescued from a prostitution network in West Bengal by a joint police team of both states, a police officer said here on Friday. Sonitpur Senior Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha said that all three victims were females and one belonged to this district. The other two, including the minor girl, were from neighbouring districts. Purkayastha said that the trio was lured with the promise of jobs and taken to Siliguri in a neighbouring state, where they were forced into prostitution. “The rescue operation was carried out with the help of West Bengal police by our team. The victims have been brought back safely,” he said. Police have launched an investigation to identify and arrest those involved in the trafficking racket. “Efforts are also on to find out if more people are linked to the network. Further investigation is going on,” the police officer added. (Source: PTI)    

GANGTOK : Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang launched ‘CM-SAATHI’, a major education initiative aimed at providing free, high-quality coaching and academic support to students preparing for national-level entrance examinations such as JEE and NEET. Developed in collaboration with the Government of India’s SATHEE initiative, the programme will offer expert video lectures, study materials, mock tests, practice questions, doubt-solving support and technology-enabled learning to students across Sikkim, an official release said on Friday. The chief minister said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that no student is denied opportunities because of financial constraints. “CM-SAATHI will provide free, world-class coaching and academic support for JEE and NEET aspirants and ensure that quality coaching reaches the homes and schools of our students, regardless of their financial background,” Tamang said on Thursday after launching the CM-SAATHI initiative. The programme is expected to benefit more than 2,000 students from over 40 government and private schools across Sikkim. The initiative will also strengthen the capabilities of science and mathematics teachers through collaboration with IIT Kanpur. Tamang said he has requested the Ministry of Education to explore extending similar support to other competitive examinations, including CUET, CLAT, NDA and UPSC Foundation programmes, so that students from diverse academic streams can benefit. “CM-SAATHI is more than a programme; it is an investment in the aspirations of our youth and the bright future of Sikkim,” he said. The chief minister urged students to “dream big, remain disciplined, and make the most of this opportunity. He also called upon principals, teachers and parents to actively guide and motivate students as they prepare for higher education and competitive examinations. The chief minister thanked the Ministry of Education, Government of India, IIT Kanpur, the SATHEE team and officials of the state Education Department for their support in implementing the initiative. State officials said CM-SAATHI is expected to significantly expand access to quality competitive-exam preparation in Sikkim and help nurture a new generation of doctors, engineers, scientists, innovators and leaders. (Source: PTI)    

AGARTALA : The Congress on Thursday demanded that teachers of government-run schools be excluded from the census exercise in Tripura and instead contractual staffers be engaged in the enumeration process. In a letter to Chief Minister Manik Saha, Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Asish Kumar Saha said the state government often speaks about improving education, but schools are facing a shortage of teachers. “Currently, around 18,000 posts of teachers at different levels remain vacant across various wings of the education department while over 450 government schools are running with a single teacher (according to NITI Aayog findings). The growing pressure on teachers due to staff shortages adversely affects the quality of education,” he said. Saha said teachers should primarily focus on teaching students, but they are “frequently engaged in government administrative work”. “As a result, students, parents, and the education system are suffering,” the Congress leader claimed. “In view of the present situation, we reiterate our demand to exclude government teachers from the census process and engage contractual staffers from the pool of educated youths to conduct the important exercise,” he said. The first phase of the census – house listing and house enumeration – is set to be carried out from August 1 to 30 in the state. Additionally, teachers may be relieved from the responsibility of booth level officers (BLOs) to ensure quality education in the state, he wrote. Saha also voiced concern over the Supreme Court’s recent verdict mandating a BEd degree for in-service government teachers. “If the ruling is implemented, around 10,000 government teachers will be affected in the northeastern state where teacher shortage is already a serious concern. I suggest taking up the issue with the Centre for an amicable solution to the problem,” he said. Saha also demanded immediate recruitment of teachers by following a transparent recruitment drive to address the acute shortage of teachers in government schools. (Source: PTI)      

IMPHAL : Security forces arrested seven people for allegedly possessing illegal firearms in Manipur’s hill and valley districts, police said on Thursday. During an operation based on specific input, security forces apprehended four residents of Sikibung Village in Ukhrul district on Tuesday, a police statement said. They were arrested during the operation conducted to nab the perpetrators of the July 6 ambush on an Assam Rifles convoy, which killed two of its personnel in the district. Two Assam Rifles personnel were killed when suspected militants fired at the convoy at Shangshak near Nungshang Khong, about 17 km from the Ukhrul district headquarters, and three persons were detained in connection with it. “Two SBBL guns, live SBBL cartridges and a wireless communication set were seized from the possession of the four arrested people,” the police said. Security forces also apprehended an active cadre of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party-MC (Progressive) on Wednesday from Khurai Ahongei in Imphal East district on charges of illegal firearm possession. Two persons, hailing from Khurai Lairikyengbam in Imphal East district, were arrested on Wednesday from their locality, the police said. One pistol along with two magazines and 11 live rounds of bullets were recovered from their possession, the statement added. Security forces have been conducting search operations and area domination in the fringe and vulnerable localities across Manipur since ethnic violence broke out three years ago. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic strife between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023. (Source: PTI)                  

SENAPATI/IMPHAL : A mob hurled stones, vandalised an Assam Rifles camp and set three vehicles of security personnel on fire in Manipur’s Senapati district, hours after a search operation was conducted in an area, officials said on Wednesday. The violence occurred at the district town camp of the paramilitary force at 9.30 am on Tuesday when the mob attacked the barrack, they said. Based on credible intelligence inputs regarding the presence of armed cadres in the general area of Makuilongdi, nearly 2 kms west of the designated NSCN (IM) camp at Oklong, an area domination patrol and search operation were launched by the Assam Rifles, the Defence PRO said in a statement. “Intelligence reports and the social media posts indicated the presence of armed cadres moving outside designated camps, carrying weapons and wearing uniforms, in apparent violation of established Ceasefire Ground Rules,” the official said, adding that the reported violations were formally informed to the Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG). During the course of the operation, the Assam Rifles columns approached Makuilongdi and Oklong villages, and residents, including women, obstructed them, it said. As tensions escalated, reports emerged at around 9 pm that a large crowd gathered in Senapati town and prepared to march towards the Assam Rifles camp, the official said. Despite the withdrawal of the columns, a large mob reached the camp at around 9:30 PM, hurled stones, damaging property and attempting acts of arson, the statement said. The camp is located at Naga Taphou in the district. The mob vandalised and damaged Assam Rifles vehicles, it said, adding “one light vehicle was set ablaze, while two trucks were overturned and damaged and a car of a civilian was also burnt during the violence”, another official said. In coordination with the Manipur Police, minimum force was deployed to disperse the violent crowd and prevent further escalation, it said. The Senapati Police and CRPF were immediately deployed to help the security personnel control the situation, the statement added. (Source: PTI)  

GUWAHATI : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said direct cash benefit transfer (DBT) schemes have played the biggest role in reducing poverty in the state and asserted that the government aims to bring the multidimensional poverty rate down to a single digit. Replying to a discussion on the state budget in the Assembly, Sarma said Assam’s multidimensional poverty rate has declined from 32.67 per cent in 2015 to 14.47 per cent now. “Direct cash benefit transfer has played the most major role in poverty alleviation in our state, and we intend to bring down the rate to a single digit,” he said. “To attack poverty directly, direct cash benefit transfer is the way. Poverty alleviation through development, agriculture, MSMEs, etc, will take years,” he added. He said the Centre’s help in implementing various ambitious projects in the state has enabled his government to undertake transformational work. The chief minister claimed the previous Congress governments failed to reduce poverty as people did not have bank accounts or Aadhaar, and recalled that former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had acknowledged that only a small portion of welfare benefits reached the intended beneficiaries. Sarma said studies have shown that welfare schemes such as Orunodoi, Nijut Moina and free foodgrain distribution have made the biggest contribution to poverty reduction in Assam. He said the budget was a reflection of the Centre’s and state’s combined commitment to development, adding that it was due to the central government’s support that ambitious projects like the Kaziranga elevated corridor and underground tunnel through the Brahmaputra are being implemented in the state. Alleging that people influenced by Left ideology were opposing development projects, Sarma warned of strict action against those obstructing such works. “To increase the budget size, we need growth. And for it, industrialisation, agriculture and development in such sectors are imperative,” he said. The chief minister stressed the need for a competitive approach in the present federal structure to secure greater assistance from the Centre. Rejecting the opposition’s criticism that the budget was a “copy-paste” of previous years, Sarma said it reflected the BJP-led government’s continuing vision for the state’s development. Seeking support to develop a self-sufficient state, Sarma urged the MLAs to nurture entrepreneurial ventures in their constituencies, cooperate in implementing government projects and provide guidance to youth to succeed in competitive exams. (Source: PTI)