State News

GANGTOK : At least 20 workers were killed and five others remained trapped for over 24 hours after a tunnel under construction collapsed in Sikkim’s Namchi district following an explosion of suspected methane gas, a police officer said on Tuesday. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced Rs 4 lakh as ex-gratia for the next of kin of each of those workers who died in the collapse of the NHPC tunnel and Rs 50,000 for every injured person. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the chief minister and took stock of the situation, besides assuring him of all help from the central government. The PM also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured persons. As many as 25 workers, including a few project officers, had been trapped inside the collapsed tunnel of the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project at Samardung shortly after 1 pm on Monday. “Out of those 25 trapped inside the tunnel, 20 are confirmed dead,” Namchi Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonam D Bhutia said. She said that bodies of 12 have been recovered during the rescue and search operations being carried out by multiple agencies. Seven bodies have so far been identified, and efforts are underway to do so for the other bodies. According to an NHPC statement, a sudden burst of suspected methane gas trapped/embedded inside the rocks led to the explosion, generating dense fumes and toxic gases. The chief minister announced that a special committee will be constituted to find out the cause of the methane gas blast which led to the collapse of the tunnel. Tamang, who reached the mishap site earlier in the day, told reporters that a special mining rescue team from neighbouring West Bengal has arrived at the site to assist in the ongoing search operations for the workers trapped inside the tunnel. Earlier in the day, Governor Om Prakash Mathur and the CM visited the incident site to assess the situation. They interacted with the officials on the ground and directed that every possible measure be taken to ensure the best medical care and support for the injured workers. They directed NHPC Chairman and Managing Director Bhupender Gupta to ensure that compensation is disbursed to the victims at the earliest. The governor and the CM directed the Namchi district administration to establish a dedicated mechanism at Rangpo for the identification of the deceased and to ensure that all support is extended to the affected families, particularly those from other states, during this difficult time. The Sikkim Assembly observed a two-minute silence to mourn the death of the workers in the tunnel collapse. The CM informed the House that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to him regarding the incident. He said he had apprised them of the ongoing rescue operations, while Modi and Shah assured him of all assistance from the Government of India. Chief Secretary Ravindra Telang chaired a high-level review meeting in Namchi in the presence of the Director General of Police Akshay Sachdeva to assess the progress of the ongoing search and rescue operations at the project. The meeting was attended by the District Administration, rescue agencies, officials from the West Bengal Administration, NHPC Ltd, and Patel Engineering Ltd which is executing the civil construction works for the tunnel. The chief secretary directed all agencies to take every necessary step to establish the identity of the deceased workers. Telang also reviewed the rescue strategy in detail, stressing that the available oxygen supply must be utilised judiciously to ensure the safe, efficient, and uninterrupted continuation of the operation. (Source: PTI)  

YUPIA : The Papum Pare District Election Office on Tuesday published the Draft Electoral Roll-2026 and convened a coordination meeting with representatives of recognised political parties at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall in Yupia to brief them on the outcome of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026 and the claims and objections process. Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Lobsang Tsering formally released the Draft Electoral Rolls for the 13-Itanagar, 14-Doimukh and 15-Sagalee Assembly Constituencies and handed over copies to representatives of recognised political parties. Addressing the meeting, Tsering said the Special Intensive Revision had been completed within the timeline prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI). He appreciated the efforts of the Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for successfully completing the revision exercise. He informed that the period for filing claims and objections commenced on July 21 and will continue till August 20, while hearings on claims and objections will be held from August 21 to September 18 in accordance with the ECI schedule. He appealed to all recognised political parties to actively participate in the process to ensure a transparent, inclusive and error-free final electoral roll. Electoral Registration Officer for 13-Itanagar Assembly Constituency Dani Rikang gave a detailed presentation on the outcome of the Special Intensive Revision. She explained that unlike the Annual Summary Revision, the SIR involved door-to-door physical verification by Booth Level Officers to identify duplicate, deceased, permanently shifted and other ineligible or non-genuine electors, thereby improving the accuracy and integrity of the electoral roll. Presenting the district-wise findings, Rikang said the total electorate in Papum Pare had been revised from 1,02,810 in the pre-revision roll to 53,382 in the Draft Electoral Roll, a reduction of 49,428 electors (48.07 per cent). She said the electorate in 13-Itanagar Assembly Constituency was revised from 63,046 to 21,471, a reduction of 41,575 electors (65.94 per cent). 14-Doimukh Assembly Constituency recorded a reduction from 25,077 to 19,038 electors (24.08 per cent), while 15-Sagalee Assembly Constituency was revised from 14,687 to 12,873 electors (12.35 per cent). Rikang also shared the gender-wise composition of the draft electoral roll, stating that Papum Pare now has 24,717 male and 28,665 female electors. Of these, 13-Itanagar has 9,451 male and 12,020 female electors, 14-Doimukh has 8,914 male and 10,124 female electors, while 15-Sagalee has 6,352 male and 6,521 female electors. She further explained the procedures relating to Form 6 for fresh enrolment and Form 8 for transfer of electors, emphasising that submission of the prescribed self-declaration form along with the applications is mandatory. She also cautioned that furnishing false information or fraudulent declarations attracts penal provisions under the Representation of the People Act, including imprisonment of up to one year. The meeting concluded with an interactive session during which representatives of recognised political parties sought clarifications on various aspects of the revision process, draft electoral roll and claims and objections procedure. After their queries were addressed, the political parties assured their full cooperation to the District Election Office for the successful publication of a free, fair and error-free Electoral Roll-2026. Sagalee Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Electoral Registration Officer Kipa Raja, Balijan Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Electoral Registration Officer Takar Rava, and corporators Yekar Yaro and Ngurang Yache were among those present at the meeting. (DIPR)      

IMPHAL : Forty-six militants of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (People’s War Group) surrendered before security forces in Manipur on Tuesday, police said. Addressing the “homecoming ceremony” at the headquarters of the Inspector General Assam Rifles (South) in Imphal’s Mantripukhri, Singh said it was a “significant step towards lasting peace and stability” and urged the surrendered militants to contribute to the state’s progress. Police said the surrendered militants handed over 28 weapons, including AK-series rifles, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), pistols and other war-like stores comprising grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), detonators, ammunition and wireless sets. The CM said Manipur had remained peaceful until the ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023, leading to the spread of an “alarming gun culture”. He said sustained operations by security forces have led to the recovery of more than 8,000 weapons, including over 1,200 firearms, since his government assumed office on February 4. Of these, around 600 arms were looted from government armouries, he said. Maintaining that “gun culture” could never bring peace, Singh assured the surrendered militants of full support under the Centre’s Revised Scheme for Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation of Militants in the North East States, 2018. State Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said the surrendered militants would receive a monthly stipend of up to Rs 6,000 for three years and a rehabilitation grant of Rs 4 lakh in the form of a fixed deposit under the scheme. He also appealed to other insurgents to shun violence and join the peace process. DGP Mukesh Singh said the ceremony reflected the growing confidence of misguided youths in the peace process, while Lt Gen Girish Kalia, General Officer Commanding, 3 Corps, said no society could progress under the shadow of conflict. In a social media post, the Indian Army’s Eastern Command said the surrender followed months of sustained outreach by the Army and Assam Rifles, assisted by the Manipur Police and central security agencies. In a statement, the government said none of the cadres had been part of any previous peace agreement. The dissolution of the KCP-PWG faction represented a major setback to the outfit’s operational network in the state’s valley districts, it said. (Source: PTI)        

KYIDPHEL : In a bid to promote sustainable livelihoods and enhance farmers’ income, the Tawang District Horticulture Department on Tuesday organised a one-day mushroom cultivation training programme at the Conference Hall of the Assistant Commissioner in Kyidphel under the state government’s Mushroom Mission Initiative. A total of 59 farmers from Kyidphel block participated in the programme, which focused on scientific mushroom cultivation techniques and the commercial potential of mushroom farming. Addressing the participants, Tawang District Horticulture Officer (DHO) Koncho Gyatso outlined the objectives of the Mushroom Mission and urged farmers to adopt scientific cultivation practices. He said mushroom cultivation is a low-investment, high-return enterprise capable of generating sustainable income while improving rural livelihoods. Kyidphel Assistant Commissioner Sange Norbu encouraged farmers to embrace modern agricultural practices to enhance productivity and increase their earnings. He also proposed developing a pilot village for mushroom cultivation, expressing confidence that its success would encourage neighbouring villages to adopt the initiative. Kyidphel Zilla Parishad Member (ZPM) Tenzin Monpa said government welfare schemes can achieve their intended objectives only through active public participation. He urged farmers to make full use of the training and government support to adopt scientific farming methods and transform agriculture into a sustainable and profitable livelihood. The technical sessions included practical demonstrations on oyster mushroom cultivation by DHO Koncho Gyatso, covering substrate preparation, spawning, cultivation techniques and harvesting. Block Mission Management Unit (BMMU) Lumla Block Coordinator Tenzin Yangzom conducted a session on shiitake mushroom cultivation, highlighting scientific production methods and the commercial prospects of the high-value crop. To facilitate immediate adoption of the technology, mushroom spawn was distributed to all participating farmers, enabling them to begin cultivation in their respective villages. The programme concluded with enthusiastic participation from the farmers, reflecting their growing interest in diversifying agricultural activities and exploring new livelihood opportunities. Officials expressed confidence that the initiative would strengthen rural livelihoods, promote self-employment and encourage sustainable agriculture across Kyidphel block. (DIPR)