REGIONAL

GUWAHATI, SEP 1: Vedanta Oil and Gas Ltd on Tuesday said it has joined hands with Beicip-Franlab India Pvt Ltd to accelerate exploration, resource maturation and production growth in the Northeast. The integrated seismic and subsurface programme will cover nine Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) blocks and one Discovered Small Field (DSF) block, bringing exploration, resource evaluation and development planning under a single technical framework. “This collaboration aims at identifying and further developing new drilling opportunities while unlocking additional value from existing discoveries and producing assets,” the Vedanta Group firm said in a statement. As part of the engagement, subsurface and reservoir integrated entity Beicip-Franlab will undertake seismic interpretation, geological and reservoir studies, prospect ranking, resource assessment and field development planning across priority assets, including new and existing fields like Hazarigaon and Rudra in the Northeast. Speaking on the partnership, Vedanta Oil and Gas Interim CEO and Whole-Time Director Jim Johnny Gast said, “Through Beicip-Franlab, we are bringing together advanced subsurface expertise and integrated technical capabilities to accelerate prospect maturation, strengthen our exploration portfolio and unlock greater value from existing assets.” The Northeast holds significant untapped hydrocarbon potential and is a key pillar of our growth strategy, he added. “This programme will help build a robust pipeline of drill-ready opportunities while supporting our commitment to increase domestic energy production and contribute to India’s energy security,” Gast said. The opportunities identified under this initiative will subsequently progress through Vedanta Oil & Gas’ technical assurance and exploration-to-development processes, the company said. Commenting on the project, Beicip-Franlab India Managing Director Amit Singh said, “Vedanta holds a highly prospective portfolio in Northeast India, and our objective is to unlock its full value by transforming subsurface potential into tangible development opportunities.” Through integrated subsurface evaluations, resource characterisation and field development planning, Beicip-Franlab India aims to deliver a robust pipeline of drill-ready prospects, enhance resource visibility across the portfolio and identify high-impact opportunities that support sustainable production growth, he added. “Our purpose is to provide technical insight, strategic direction and decision-ready solutions required to accelerate the maturation of discoveries and prospects, enabling a more efficient and value-driven progression from exploration to development,” Singh said. The programme has the potential to unlock up to 300 MMboe (million barrels of oil equivalent) of additional resources and reserves, while also supporting production enhancement opportunities across existing fields, the statement said. The Northeast is a critical part of Vedanta Oil & Gas’ growth strategy, with the company seeking to deepen exploration activity and unlock the region’s hydrocarbon potential. In February 2025, Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal had announced that the firm would pump in Rs 50,000 crore in Assam and Tripura’s oil and gas sector over the next 3-4 years. (Source: PTI)      

GUWAHATI, AUG 31: A day after a fatal accident occurred on NH 27 in Assam, senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia on Monday wrote to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, seeking suspension of toll collection in the state and a comprehensive audit of all roads where levies are collected from vehicle owners. The former leader of the opposition in the Assam assembly referred to the minibus-truck collision at Sonapur in Kamrup Metropolitan district, which left seven people dead, and said it was a tragic example of the danger faced by road users. “…this is not an isolated case. Reports from other toll stretches in Assam also show pothole-ridden surfaces, poor upkeep, and repeated accidents, even while tolls continue to be collected,” Saikia said. The public is being asked to pay toll for roads that are “unsafe and in poor condition”, which is “inconsistent with the purpose of toll collection and the principle recognised by courts that toll should not be charged for roads that are not properly maintained, the Congress leader pointed out in the letter. Saikia sought the central minister’s urgent intervention for immediate suspension of toll collection in Assam until the roads are repaired and certified motorable. He also demanded an “independent safety and maintenance audit” of all toll plazas and roads under toll collection in Assam, and a detailed inquiry into maintenance failures, recurring accidents and contractual lapses involving NHAI, concessionaires and independent engineers. Saikia also sought compensation and immediate relief for families of the deceased and injured in Sonapur and other accident cases on toll roads, and publication of a corrective action plan with timelines, responsibility allocation and public disclosure of compliance. “The situation in Assam requires not a piecemeal response but a statewide corrective intervention in the interest of public safety and administrative accountability,” he added. The Congress leader emphasised that the Sonapur crash is cited only as one example of a wider pattern, as similar accidents and poor road conditions have been reported from other toll stretches in Assam, which justifies a statewide suspension of toll collection and a comprehensive audit of all such roads. The toll in the head-on collision between a truck and a minibus in Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district rose to seven as three more people succumbed to their injuries, police said on Monday. The accident took place on National Highway 27 at Tetelia near Sonapur on Sunday evening, killing four people on the spot. According to Guwahati Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Safiqul Hussain, the minibus was travelling towards Guwahati, and the truck was moving in the opposite direction. “Suddenly, the driver of the bus lost control of the vehicle, jumped the divider and hit the truck in the other lane. The bus driver allegedly lost control after the vehicle fell into a large pothole in the middle of the road. We are examining the claim,” he added. (Source: PTI)      

GUWAHATI, AUG 31: At least 33 suspected cattle smugglers were arrested and nearly 300 livestock rescued in three different operations in Assam while the animals were being transported, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday. “Twenty-two vehicles seized, 298 mother cows freed, 33 arrested. The Assam Police operation at three locations at once has made it clear that cattle smuggling will no longer be tolerated,” he said in a social media post. This action is a testament to the Assam government’s resolve towards cow protection and safeguarding the interests of farmers, Sarma asserted. “Listen up, cattle smugglers — there is no place for cattle smuggling on the soil of Assam! Protecting mother cow, Assam’s resolve,” he added. (Source: PTI)    

IMPHAL, AUG 31: Seven Naga MLAs in Manipur are planning to write to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding immediate action against Kuki-Zo leaders allegedly involved in the killing of Naga civilians. In a draft memorandum, a copy of which is available with the PTI, the legislators also demanded action against Kuki National Front-President (KNF-P) leader Thangboi Kipgen, husband of deputy CM Nemcha Kipgen, alleging that cadres of the outfit were involved in the killing of the six Naga civilians earlier this year. The legislators also sought action against the deputy CM, alleging that her office was colluding with the Kuki militant group. Six Naga civilians were abducted by armed men on May 13 from Leilon Vaiphei in Kangpokpi district. Their bodies were recovered from the vicinity of Leilon Vaiphei village on June 10. The memorandum, signed by Deputy Chief Minister L Dikho of the Naga People’s Front (NPF), four other party MLAs, one National People’s Party (NPP) MLA and an Independent legislator, also demanded the abrogation of the SoO ceasefire agreement between Kuki militant groups, the state government and the Centre, citing violence and acts of terror against civilians. The Suspension of Operations (SoO) pact was signed in August 2008. “The current human tragedy unfolding in Manipur has reached a critical and volatile stage, with grave ramifications affecting all aspects of public life. If unbiased, decisive and bold action is not taken without delay, the state may descend into an uncontrollable situation,” the MLAs said. They added that if their demands were not acted upon, they “shall be unable to defend or adequately respond to the challenges raised by the public, concerning our continued support to the Government of Manipur”. (Source: PTI)

GUWAHATI, AUG 30: More than 26,500 people have been arrested and drugs worth Rs 3,253 crore seized across Assam since 2021, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. He said huge quantities of narcotic substances originate in Myanmar, and enter Assam through various routes in Mizoram and Manipur for further distribution in the rest of India. “Since 2021, with a single-minded focus on our mission #AssamAgainstDrugs, our police and allied agencies have waged a relentless, daily battle against the narcotics trade. The numbers tell their own story — narcotics worth more than Rs 3,253 crore seized, and over 26,500 offenders arrested since the campaign began,” Sarma said in a social media post. He said the number of arrests has climbed steadily each year from 4,175 in 2021 to 4,901 in 2025, asserting this was not a one-time drive but a “sustained and institutionalised war” on drugs. In 2021, Sarma became the chief minister for the first time after the BJP came to power in Assam for the second consecutive term. Talking about the origin and route of the drug movement, the CM said, “Assam sits on a difficult geography — a transit corridor for narcotics originating in Myanmar and routed through Mizoram and Manipur before moving deeper into the country.” Kingpins often operate beyond Assam’s borders, which is precisely why this cannot be the state’s fight alone, he said. “This is where the prime minister’s leadership and the Centre’s unwavering support have made a real difference — intensified coordination with Myanmar, strengthened surveillance along inter-state borders, sharper intelligence sharing and deployment of technology that helps our forces intercept consignments before they spread further,” Sarma said. He further said that the Assam Police have not worked in isolation, but have worked as an extension of a national resolve to eliminate the menace of drugs. Listening to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’, which was on the drug menace, Sarma said, “I was thinking about how the fight against drugs cannot be a fragmented effort — it must be a national mission carried forward with equal resolve at the Centre and in every state.” The PM’s vision of a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ (addiction-free India) and ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’ (addiction-free youth for developed India pledge campaign) speaks to something Assam has believed in and acted upon for years — youth are the greatest asset and protecting them from the poison of narcotics is the sworn duty, he added. “Prime Minister Modi ji has always said that addiction is neither cool nor a style statement; drugs bring only destruction and devastation to families and communities. Thus, his ‘Nasha Mukt Yuva for Viksit Bharat Sankalp Abhiyan’, with a hundred weeks of grassroots engagement reaching crores of young Indians, is a call to every state to match energy with intent,” Sarma said. Assam answers that call with pride as a frontline partner in a mission central to India’s future, he added. “As Prime Minister Modi ji leads the nation towards a Nasha Mukt Bharat, Assam will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Centre relentless, coordinated and uncompromising — until the drug network across our borders is fully dismantled and every young Assamese grows up free from this menace,” the CM said. He said that Assam’s fight will not pause, knowing full well the scale of the challenge. “Every seizure means a family protected and a future secured. Few weeks back, we publicly destroyed seized contraband worth Rs 472+ crore at Nalbari — driving home the message that what is seized will never re-enter the homes of any Assamese family,” Sarma added. (Source: PTI)  

SHILLONG, AUG 30: Four armed men were killed in an exchange of fire with a joint team of the Meghalaya Police and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in East Garo Hills district in the early hours of Sunday, police said. The gunfight took place around 4 am when the joint team had set up a checkpoint on the road from Songsak towards Kagal following intelligence inputs, East Garo Hills SP Pawar S Vasantrao said. During checking, the team signalled a suspected vehicle to stop, but its occupants allegedly opened fire at the police personnel, prompting the security forces to retaliate, he said. “In the ensuing counterfire, the four men who were in the vehicle sustained serious injuries. They were immediately shifted to the hospital, where they were declared brought dead,” he added. The SP said the identities of the four men are yet to be established, and police are verifying their criminal antecedents. “Their possible involvement in the recent kidnapping and killing of a businessman near the inter-state border in Damra is also being examined,” he said. “Due verification of their identity will also be done properly, and all the forensic teams are still on the job,” he said. The SP said the investigation and other legal procedures were underway. (Source: PTI)      

GUWAHATI, AUG 29: The Assam Congress on Saturday organised ‘padayatras’ across the state to protest the proposed reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Kaziranga National Park. Congress leaders and workers participated in protests in several districts, including Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Hailakandi, Karimganj, Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong and Golaghat. The protesters marched through the streets of district headquarters, raising slogans against the government and demanding withdrawal of the proposal to reduce the ESZ. In Guwahati, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Wazed Ali Choudhury, former MP Ripun Bora, state women’s wing president Mira Borthakur and other party leaders took part in the protest. Police prevented the protesters from leaving the Congress office in the Dispur area, following which party workers attempted to breach the barricades and march onto the streets. Choudhury said the protests would continue until the government reverses its decision. “We will not allow the BJP-led government to damage Kaziranga National Park, which is our pride. We will not relent till the decision is reversed,” he said. Bora and Borthakur said the Congress would take up the issue across the state and create awareness among people. They accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of compromising the interests of the national park to benefit large corporate entities. The controversy over Kaziranga’s ESZ stems from the Assam government’s plan to send a proposal to the Centre to reduce the buffer zone around the UNESCO World Heritage Site from the default 10 km to 1-3 km. Commercial activities in an ESZ are either prohibited, regulated or permitted under prescribed norms, depending on the nature of the activity. Opposition parties and activists have alleged that the proposed reduction would facilitate commercial mining and tourism around Kaziranga and the adjoining Karbi Anglong hills, which are also an elephant corridor. Environmentalists have warned that a narrower buffer zone could increase human-animal conflict and threaten the biodiversity of the World Heritage Site. Sarma, however, has defended the proposal, saying the reduction is aimed at protecting the interests and livelihoods of villagers living within the ESZ. (Source: PTI)  

GUWAHATI, AUG 29: Ten people from Assam have been reported missing in Nepal since devastating flash floods struck the Himalayan country three days ago, an official statement said on Saturday. Among the missing, three each are from Kamrup (Metro) and Karbi Anglong, two from Nalbari, and one each from Golaghat and Hojai districts, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said. Earlier, the ASDMA had reported that 12 people from the state were missing in the Nepal floods. Later, it said that the family members of two persons from Nalbari have confirmed that they are safe. The Karbi Anglong administration said that out of the three missing persons from the district, the family members of one have confirmed that he is safe, but the ASDMA is yet to ascertain his safety. The missing persons are Dr Dipali Sarkar, Pankaj Neog and Manash Kumar Ghosh from Guwahati in Kamrup (Metro), Rhituporno Brahma, Montri Basumatary and Someswar Narzary from Karbi Anglong, Arun Nath and Dr Tirtha Chaliha from Nalbari, Rahul Daimary from Golaghat and Shatadal Nath from Hojai, the ASDMA bulletin said. The state government has set up a flood-related emergency help desk at Assam House, New Delhi, and the helpline numbers are 011-23010299/98 and 28877111 (emergency assistance numbers), 9101089151 (Anuran Medhi) and 892057057 (Vinod Kalita). The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 579 on Friday, with more bodies recovered as search and rescue operations resume at full pace after a brief slowdown due to fear of fresh floods following an increase in the water level in the Bhotekoshi river area. So far, 1,545 injured and stranded people have been rescued from various affected regions. Among them, 84 were undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kathmandu. An ice-rock avalanche triggered by a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border sent a torrent of water, mud and debris downstream through central Nepal on Wednesday, devastating towns and villages, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, and damaging hydropower projects. (Source: PTI)    

TINSUKIA, AUG 29: A woman and her mother were arrested in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Saturday in connection with the death of a 26-year-old man, police said. The victim, Chinmoy Jyoti Changmai of Bordoloi Nagar area in the town, was found critically injured outside JSB Spring Field, a multi-storeyed residential complex, around midnight on Thursday, the police said. He was initially taken to Tinsukia Civil Hospital and later shifted to Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, where he succumbed to his injuries, they said. According to an FIR lodged by the deceased’s mother, Chinmoy had gone to the residential complex after allegedly being called by the woman, who is a law student. The complaint alleged that an altercation took place inside the building, following which Chinmoy was pushed from an upper floor and later found outside the complex. The woman and her mother have been arrested, while police are looking for her father, who is an associate professor in the Political Science department of Tinsukia College. Police said they are investigating the allegations, the circumstances of the victim’s entry into the building and the role of the accused. (Source: PTI)      

IMPHAL/SENAPATI, AUG 28: The bodies of four Naga civilians killed in an ambush in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district were retrieved on Friday morning, a day after the attack, officials said. The four were killed and another person injured when armed assailants attacked a vehicle in an isolated area between Makui Ashang and Thanamba Naga villages around 8.30 am on Thursday, they said. One of the deceased was the principal of a private school. Security forces had attempted to retrieve the bodies on Thursday evening but could not reach the site due to an alleged blockade and disruptions at a village along the route, officials said. A security team comprising state police personnel reached the ambush site on Friday morning and retrieved the bodies, which were being taken to Senapati district headquarters, they said. On Thursday night, a large number of people gathered at Senapati district headquarters and staged a protest, demanding that the bodies be brought to the Naga-majority district. Meanwhile, village volunteers fired several rounds in the air as a mark of respect when the bodies reached Thonglang Atongba in Kangpokpi district, officials said. Following the killings, Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh chaired a high-level security meeting and directed security forces to identify, arrest and take action against those involved in the attack. The United Naga Council (UNC), the apex body of the Naga community in the state, accused two militant outfits — Kuki National Front (P) and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) — of being involved in the ambush. The deceased have been identified as Tadsongbou Ringkangmai, the founder and principal of a private school, M Wijunamai, Anil Wijunamai, and Wisobou Charenamai, the chairman of the Chawangkining Village Authority. The injured person has been identified as Gaikamang Ringkangmai. All five victims belong to the Liangmai Naga community. (Source: PTI)