REGIONAL

IMPHAL, MAY 6: Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Wednesday said the security forces stood firm as pillars of strength while operating under demanding conditions and maintaining law and order in the state. Speaking at the investiture ceremony for the Governor’s Unit Citation 2026, Bhalla paid tributes to the dedication, courage and exemplary service of the armed forces for working tirelessly to uphold peace and stability. He presented the Governor’s Citations to outstanding units of the Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, BRTF and the Manipur district police in recognition of their service. Referring to the challenges faced by the state in recent years, the governor said, “The security forces stood firm as pillars of strength, operating under demanding conditions while maintaining law and order and restoring a sense of security among the people.” Bhalla also acknowledged the support and sacrifices of the families of personnel, saying their strength and encouragement remain integral to service. He noted that the Governor’s Unit Citation recognises collective excellence, teamwork, discipline and an unwavering commitment to duty. Bhalla also emphasised that true strength lies in the judicious and restrained use of force, noting that the conduct of the forces has strengthened public confidence and aided the return of normalcy. He also highlighted the need for continued synergy between the security forces and civil administration, while congratulating the awardees for setting benchmarks of excellence. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh also commended the contribution of both the central and state forces in providing humanitarian services and saving the lives of people from different communities. Acknowledging the crucial role played by the security forces in maintaining law and order, the CM stressed the need for public support and cooperation in the government’s efforts to strengthen the bonding among different communities. Recipients of the Governor’s Unit Citation 2026 included 19 Garhwal Rifles, 17 Assam Rifles, 38 Assam Rifles, 40 Assam Rifles, 2 Mahar Regiment, 25 BRTF, Kakching District Police, Senapati District Police, Churachandpur District Police, 10 BSF and 143 CRPF. (Source: PTI)  

UMIAM, MAY 6: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday announced that the Centre has awarded a contract for the runway expansion at Shillong airport, describing the project as a major boost for tourism and connectivity in the state. Addressing the Empowerment of Tourism Champions of Meghalaya event at Orchid Lake in Umiam, Sangma said the project is expected to be completed within around 15 months and would enable larger aircraft to operate. “This will be a game-changer for tourism in Meghalaya,” the chief minister said. He said improved connectivity was essential for strengthening the state’s position as a leading tourist destination and attracting more visitors from across the country and abroad. Organised by the tourism department, the programme brought together tourism stakeholders, entrepreneurs, artisans, students, community leaders and beneficiaries from different parts of the state. Sangma said tourism can succeed only when every stakeholder works together as part of a larger ecosystem. “Tourism cannot succeed through the efforts of the government alone, nor through the efforts of individual hotel owners, taxi operators, restaurant owners or other stakeholders working in isolation. Tourism thrives only when every stakeholder plays their part,” he said. Describing the programme as an important milestone in Meghalaya’s tourism journey, the chief minister congratulated the tourism department, entrepreneurs and tourism stakeholders for their role in placing the state firmly on the national tourism map and increasingly on the global tourism landscape. Emphasising the government’s long-term vision, Sangma said tourism was not merely about organising events or constructing hotels, but about creating a complete ecosystem that inspires travellers to choose Meghalaya. “When a family sits together and decides where they want to travel, Meghalaya must be visible. Meghalaya must be attractive. Meghalaya must be a destination that naturally comes to mind,” he said. The chief minister said tourists also consider infrastructure, connectivity, safety, comfort and overall experience before selecting destinations. “Our goal is simple: every tourist who visits Meghalaya should leave with memories of a lifetime,” he said. Highlighting the state’s tourism roadmap, Sangma said several major projects are currently underway, including the Shillong Ropeway, Mawkdok Skywalk, Rain Museum in Mawsynram, Living Root Bridge Museum, and tourism centres in Sohra, Mandalgre and Siju. Tourism Minister Timothy D Shira said tourism has emerged as one of the strongest pillars of Meghalaya’s economy, with provisional figures indicating nearly 18 lakh tourist arrivals in 2025. “When tourism was identified as a priority sector, the vision was to make it a strong driver of economic growth and a meaningful source of livelihood for the people,” he said. Shira said over 150 tourism projects are currently being implemented across the state with investments worth thousands of crores, alongside growing participation from the private sector. He said Meghalaya was now working towards developing Umiam as a global tourism destination and had established a dedicated Destination Management Organisation for professional destination planning and sustainable tourism management. “We are not only creating destinations, we are building systems that will support tourism growth for generations to come,” he said. During the programme, the chief minister announced new beneficiaries under the Chief Minister’s Meghalaya Homestay Mission and recognised successful beneficiaries under the Chief Minister’s Homestay Scheme-PMEGP. Launched in September 2025, the mission aims to create 3,000 new homestays by 2028 and generate over 15,000 employment opportunities across the state. Officials said 80 homestay applications have so far been approved, with 55 beneficiaries from Khasi, Jaintia and Ri-Bhoi regions receiving financial assistance amounting to Rs 3.85 crore. Sanction letters were also distributed under the Community-Led Infrastructure Scheme to support villages, cooperatives and tourism societies in developing tourism infrastructure. The programme also featured presentations on Meghalaya’s participation at the Surajkund International Crafts Mela and exposure visits of tourism stakeholders from Sohra to Ekta Nagar. A bravery award was presented by the chief minister to Teiborlang Pakma for rescuing a drowning person at Ward’s Lake. (Source: PTI)

IMPHAL, MAY 6: Four Myanmar nationals were arrested for allegedly being involved in the trafficking of drugs in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, police said on Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off, security forces intercepted a motorcycle and apprehended two persons from Bualkot village under the Behiang Police Station limits after 22 soap cases, suspected to contain heroin, were seized from their possession on Tuesday, a police statement said. In another operation, two more persons were arrested from Behiang village with 44 soap cases of heroin seized from them, it said. The value and quantity of the narcotic substances could not be ascertained as the operations were conducted in the remote areas, a police officer said. The arrested persons have been identified as Thangsawmung (56), Kamkhenmung (56), Jhonmung (31) and Haukhul (55). All of them hail from Chikha village in Myanmar, the police statement said. FIRs have been filed at the Behiang Police Station under the provisions of the Foreigners Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for further investigation, it said. Former chief minister N Biren Singh, who has been raising issues related to the influx of drugs and illegal immigrants from Myanmar, lauded the Behiang police and the Assam Rifles for the arrest and seizure of drugs. In a post on X, he said, “I appreciate the coordinated action of the joint team of Behiang Police Station & 37 Assam Rifles for arresting four Myanmarese nationals with 66 soap cases of suspected heroin from the Behiang in Churachandpur district.” These arrests once again highlight how Manipur is “being infiltrated by illegal immigrants actively involved in drug trafficking”, Singh added. (Source: PTI)

GUWAHATI, MAY 6: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday resigned along with his cabinet colleagues, paving the way for formation of a new government led by the BJP, officials said. The BJP-led NDA bagged 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, and counting of votes took place on May 4. “Following the formal notification of the results of #AssamElections2026 and to enable the formation of the new government, Dr @himantabiswa tendered his resignation as Chief Minister along with that of the council of Ministers to Hon’ble Governor Shri @Laxmanacharya54 today at Lok Bhawan,” the Chief Minister’s Office said in a post on X. The Governor has accepted the resignation, and requested Sarma to continue as the caretaker CM till the new government assumes office, it said. Later, speaking to reporters outside the Lok Bhawan, Sarma said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place after May 11. “As it was a historic win, we have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the occasion,” he said. The new Assam chief minister will be selected at a meeting of the BJP legislature party in presence of central observers, Sarma said. (Source: PTI)

IMPHAL, NOV 7: Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Friday said the national song “Vande Mataram” awakens the spirit of unity among people and devotion to the country. Bhalla also called upon everyone to uphold the timeless ideals of patriotism and national harmony that the ‘Vande Mataram’ song so beautifully embodies. In a post on X, the Raj Bhavan said the governor of Manipur joins the nation in celebrating 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, the “immortal song that awakens the spirit of freedom, unity, and devotion to our Motherland”. The song was written by Bengali novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay on the occasion of Akshaya Navami, which fell on November 7 in 1875. The song first appeared in the literary journal, “Bangadarshan”, as part of Chattopadhyay’s novel, “Anandamath”. “On this historic occasion, the governor pays tribute to the deep patriotic spirit of the people of Manipur, whose rich cultural heritage and unwavering love for the nation reflect the very essence of ‘Vande Mataram’,” the Raj Bhavan statement said. Former chief minister N Biren Singh also paid his tributes to the national song. In a post on X, Singh said, “On this historic day, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of our soul-stirring National Song, Vande Mataram. “Mother, I Bow to Thee” and let the anthem of resilience echo throughout the nation.” He said the song “ignited the flame of freedom in every Indian heart during our struggle for independence”. “Let us bow in reverence to our motherland, drawing strength from her eternal spirit to build a united, prosperous India,” he added. (Source: PTI)

AGARTALA, NOV 7: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that his government has kept 40 per cent of the total budgetary outlay during the 2025-26 financial year for tribal welfare. The state’s budget for the current fiscal stands at Rs 32,000 crore. While speaking at a progamme at Chailengta in Dhalai district on Thursday, the chief Minister said the development of the northeastern state is not possible without upliftment of the tribal people. “Driven by this reality, the state government has kept over 40 per cent of the budget for tribal area development during the 2025-26 financial year. The government is also focusing on skill development of the tribal, especially the resettled Bru people,” he said. Several thousand Bru families, who were living in Tripura since late 1990s because of ethnic violence in their home state Mizoram, were rehabilitated in several districts of this state following an agreement signed in 2020. “Under the PM Kaushalya Yojana and MukhyamantriDakkhata Yojana, the government provides skill training to these Bru people,” the chief minister said. Saha said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a visit to a Bru resettled village in Ambassa, had asserted that providing houses, water, and other benefits would not be enough for sustainable livelihood for them. “The Skill Development Department is providing training to them. The Bru people have said that they are happy and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We must provide skills to the Bru people to ensure their employment,” he said. The chief minister claimed that no political party or government had raised a voice for a permanent solution to the Bru people for the past 23 years. “The BJP-led government, on humanitarian grounds, solved their issues by signing an agreement. Our government is with you and working for your development. The government is working to make people self-reliant,” he said. Saha said when the agreement was signed in 2020 for the Bru people, a series of talks were held, and finally they were resettled in 12 locations in the northeastern state. “We have provided toolkits to 895 people and driving licences to 200, for which Rs 1.45 crore was spent,” he said. Earlier, the chief minister distributed toolkits for skilled Bru candidates and virtually inaugurated new buildings of a school and several government departments. (Source: PTI)

  GUWAHATI, NOV 5: Former union minister and four-time BJP MP Rajen Gohain on Wednesday joined regional political outfit Assam Jaitya Parishad (AJP). Gohain, who had resigned from the BJP on October 9, switched over to the regional party at a programme here in the presence of AJP president Lurinjyoti Gohain and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan, among others. He had represented the Nagaon parliamentary constituency for four terms from 1999 to 2019 and had served as the Union Minister of State for Railways from 2016 to 2019. Gohain, 74, had said that he resigned from the BJP as the party had “failed to fulfil the promises made to the people of Assam and betrayed the indigenous communities by allowing outsiders to settle in the state”. He also charged the BJP’s state leadership with “encouraging communal politics and dividing the centuries-old Assamese society”. The assembly elections in the state are due next year. (Source: PTI)  

GUWAHATI, NOV 5: A two-day conclave aimed at strengthening the dairy, livestock and cooperative sectors in Assam concluded on Wednesday. The meet, which brought together experts, policymakers, academics and practitioners to share insights and innovative strategies, was organised at the initiative of Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, an official statement said. The second day of the conclave witnessed a series of thematic sessions and a lead lecture that focused on advancing dairy technology, improving livestock management and promoting sustainable poultry development. Participants highlighted the need to modernise dairy infrastructure and strengthen the start-up ecosystem to create new opportunities for rural youth and women entrepreneurs. Discussions also emphasised the critical role of financing models from NABARD and MSME in enabling sustainable dairy-based entrepreneurship. A lead lecture on the ‘Status of Livestock Sector in Assam’ was delivered by Jayanta Kumar Goswami, director, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Assam, who provided an overview of the sector’s current landscape, its challenges and emerging opportunities. He highlighted that livestock and allied activities play a vital role in enhancing rural livelihoods, ensuring nutritional security and empowering women, particularly among smallholder and marginal farmers. Speakers stressed on the importance of bio-security measures and hygienic meat processing systems to promote viable and safe piggery ventures in the state. The potential of the piggery sector as a major contributor to rural income and nutrition security was strongly advocated. Experts emphasised the need to adopt scientific breeding and sustainable fodder systems to increase the productivity of goat and sheep farming in rural areas. The session on poultry development addressed issues related to backyard and commercial poultry farming, feed efficiency, hatchery management and bio-security. It also highlighted the need to strengthen local poultry breeds, improve market linkages and expand cold chain infrastructure to ensure profitability and sustainability in the sector. (Source: PTI)