Page 5 - North East

MHA tackles violence in Manipur, brings in new criminal laws in 2023

Tackling challenges like ethnic violence in Manipur and sporadic terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir while taking landmark steps in overhauling the British-era criminal justice laws and signing peace pacts with insurgent outfits in the Northeast, the year 2023 was a mixed bag for the Ministry of Home Affairs. A long-delayed peace agreement with the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) at the fag-end of the year has given a firm indication that the Home Minister Amit Shah-led ministry is serious about resolving the problems that have affected the Northeast for decades and claimed many lives. A major crisis came to the fore on May 3 when ethnic violence erupted in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts of the Northeastern state to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. At least 180 people were killed in violence that continued for months. Shah visited the state for four ...

S K Kalra appointed interim MD & CEO of North East Small Finance Bank

The Reserve Bank of India and the board of NESFB have approved the appointment of Kalra, a former managing director of Andhra Bank

North East has become powerhouse of India's growth under PM Modi: Sonowal

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Wednesday that the North East has become a "powerhouse of India's growth" under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Addressing a press conference, the former Assam chief minister said Modi has delivered more than his guarantees for the region during his over nine years at the helm during which "peace and security" have been restored in the region which faced decades of "neglect" under the Congress' rule. Sonowal said over Rs 5 lakh crore grant has been given to the eight states in the region in over nine years in a major boost to its infrastructure, including roadway, railways, waterways and air connectivity. The number of airports has risen to 17 from nine, he added. Targeting the Congress, which used to be most powerful political force in North East, he said terrorism, protests, weak governments, bad policies and scams afflicted the region under its rule as people faced an uncertain future. The Congress, he alleged, was mostly ...

IOC, LPG carriers reach truce after month long protest, NE supplies resume

Indian Oil Corporation's LPG cylinder transporters have withheld their agitation for a month after the company agreed to several of their demands, officials said on Monday. Members of the North East Packed LPG Transporter Association (NEPLTA) had on December 4 stopped plying their trucks, alleging pending dues and low rates in recently floated tenders, thereby affecting supply of LPG in several states of the region. "We have ended our strike temporarily after marathon discussions with the company management last week. They have agreed to several of our demands," NEPLTA Chief Advisor Kumud Nath told PTI. When contacted, an Indian Oil Corporation official confirmed the development, and said the association has resumed operating trucks from Saturday night for one month till further discussions take place. "During this period, IOC will work on our grievances. If they fail in that effort, we will consider our next course of action accordingly," Nath said. As per the signed minutes of t

Govt sanctions Rs 717 crore for development of five projects in Tripura

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has sanctioned Rs 717 crore for five projects in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha said. Of the total outlay, Rs 202 crore has been sanctioned for construction of a dental college in the northeastern state, while another Rs 192 crore was approved for a mother and childcare unit at Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC). Besides, Rs 121 crore has been sanctioned for setting up of a drug de-addiction centre in Sepahijala district. Under the double-engine government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the socio-economic condition of people living in Tripura has been enhanced... Rs 717 crore has been sanctioned to undertake five projects in the state. I thank the prime minister for his unwavering help to people of the state, Saha said in a Facebook post. An outlay of Rs 80 crore has been made for setting up of micro-grids for expansion of solar power in the tribal-dominated areas. A total of Rs 122 crore was also approv

MakeMyTrip to collaborate with WEP for women entrepreneurs in North-East

WEP, incubated under Niti Aayog, has transitioned into a public-private partnership as a one-stop solution for information and services relevant to women entrepreneurs

AmpIn Energy Transition plans Rs 3,100 cr investment in Eastern region

AmpIn Energy Transition on Friday announced plans to invest Rs 3,100 crore in states including Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand. The investments will be made towards setting up renewable energy projects of about 600 MW and a 1.3 GW integrated manufacturing facility of solar cells and modules, the company said in a statement. "Significant investments are planned in West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and the Northeastern states. The investment reflects our commitment of accelerating the renewable energy transition and adoption of clean energy solutions in the Eastern region," the company said. In the Eastern region, the company said it already has the largest solar open access portfolio of 200 MWp, the largest utility power purchase agreement (PPA) with CESC for a 250 MWp of wind solar hybrid project. The company is serving marquee customers in the region across diverse sectors such as steel and cement, IT and data centre, heavy engineering, FMCG, utility etc through its

Delhi-Bangkok flights cheaper than air travel to Northeast: Tour operators

Expressing regret that the cost of domestic airfares to pristine destinations in the northeast is costlier than airfares to Thailand, travel agencies and hotel operators urged the government to intervene in the matter. The airfare from Delhi to Bangkok as on December 1 (one-way) is Rs 11,470 whereas flights from Delhi to Shillong cost around Rs 14,974, travel agents claimed. This was discussed at length at the B2B meet at the International Tourism Mart here on Wednesday. Entrepreneurs from the tourism industry from all the NE states agreed that airfares from Delhi/Mumbai to Bangkok is cheaper than those to Shillong or Agartala or any of the state capitals of the region. "We understand this is due to number of travellers going to Bangkok. We want the government of India to intervene and put a cap on this because it is unfair that domestic fares are costlier than international destinations," a Guwahati-based tour operator said. Meanwhile, the Union tourism ministry has sanctioned ov

25 inland waterways projects worth Rs 1,100 crore for Northeast: Sonowal

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said more than Rs 1100 crore was granted for the development of 25 inland waterways projects in the Northeast region. Sonowal, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, Waterways and Ayush directed officials to accord top priority to critical projects of his ministries in the Northeast and ensure their completion by January 2024. The minister was chairing a review meeting here of ongoing projects of his ministries in the northeastern region. Of the 25 inland waterways projects in the region, 15 programmes worth Rs 850 crore were granted for Assam, Sonowal said. He directed the officials to complete the seven floating jetties at Jogighopa, Pandu, Biswanath, Nimati, Bindhakata, Uriamghat and Sadiya in Assam. In addition, permanent jetties at Bogibeel in Dibrugarh, and renovation of a jetty at Badarpur in Karimganj would also be completed while one permanent jetty being constructed at Sonamura in Tripura was also likely to be completed withi

'SC/ST House panel satisfied with condition of both communities in Assam'

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Kirit Premjibhai Solanki on Monday expressed satisfaction on the overall social condition of these two communities in Assam. He, however, stressed on the need to improve different parameters such as education and jobs besides ending practices like manual scavenging in which mostly people from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) are engaged. Talking to reporters at the end of a three-day study tour of the panel to the state, Solanki said, "Discrimination based on caste is less in Assam and the entire northeastern region compared many other parts of the country. We have learnt that cases of atrocities on SC/ST are also few here." Solanki, who was accompanied by 14 out of total 30 members of the committee, held discussions with state government representatives including chief secretary and several PSUs such as LIC, ONGC, OIL, Northeast Frontier Railways and IIT-Guwahati. The ...

North East India Festival in Vietnam to boost tourism, investment

Today, cultural shows, fashion shows, musical shows, exhibitions, and cultural exchange programmes will be held at September Park in Ho Chi Minh City

North East Small Finance Bank to sell over Rs 600 crore stressed assets

Consequently, credit costs are expected to start tapering down gradually, leading to normalisation in profitability in the normal course of business

Oil India rallies to 8-year high, nears fresh peak as crude price rebounds

Thus far in the calendar year, the stock price of OIL has rallied 51 per cent as compared to a 7.4 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex

Fintech unicorn Slice announces merger with North East Small Finance Bank

Deal will give customers access to a broad range of products and omnichannel offerings, say companies

NIA arrests accused from Manipur in transnational conspiracy case

The agency sleuths arrested Seiminlun Gangte in a case the NIA registered suo moto on July 19 this year

Security staff who used force against students to be punished: Manipur CM

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh Saturday iterated that security personnel involved in the "excessive use of force" against students during a crackdown on a protest rally here in connection with the alleged killing of two students will be punished. He appealed to the people to remain united, maintain calm and collectively fight the enemies of the state, which has witnessed ethnic violence. Expressing shock over the incident in Imphal area which more than 100 students were injured in clashes with security forces on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Singh, who was speaking at the sidelines of a programe here, said "I am really shocked at the excessive use of force ... at what was done to the children. Ministers of the state have personally met the injured students." Inquiry is on into the serious injury to the students. "Those responsible for the extreme injuries will be arrested and be dealt with legally," the chief minister said. Two students were seriously injured in the clash

IHCL opens resort in Sikkim; to set 11 hotels in NE, 3 under development

Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) on Monday announced that it has expanded its footprint in Sikkim with the opening of a resort in state capital Gangtok. The 69-key resort, spread over 14 acres of land, is a serene hide-out and is a blend of Sikkimese aesthetics and contemporary design, the company said in a statement. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang attended the opening of the resort. "The launch of Taj Guras Kutir Resort & Spa in Gangtok demonstrates our commitment to the commercial and tourism potential of the region. After Pakyong, the presence in Gangtok strengthens our footprint in the state and offers a new travel circuit," IHCL MD and CEO Puneet Chhatwal said. Nestled in the alpine landscape of Sikkim, the resort is set amidst lush greenery and offers panoramic views of the Kanchenjunga, the statement said. With the addition of the new facility, IHCL will have 11 hotels with three under development in Northeast India. This includes three

Trai recommends measures to boost telecom infra in north-eastern states

TRAI has issued recommendations for bolstering telecom infrastructure in North East, suggesting parleys with the state governments to harmonise their respective 'right of way' policies with related Central rules, as well as favouring provision of electricity to telecom sites on priority at utility tariffs. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) noted that while a number of initiatives have been taken by the government to improve telecom connectivity in the northeastern states, there is still a lack of high-speed mobile-based internet and fixed broadband connectivity, mainly due to the inadequate transmission bandwidth (optical fibre, Microwave and satellite). "The Northeast states continue to grapple with a significant digital divide due to various reasons such as inhospitable terrain conditions, poor availability of power supply, transmission media related limitations, poor return of investment prospects for TSPs, and Right of Way (RoW) related issues," the sector regulato

Mithun meat set to go mainstream, may be newest addition to your menu

The animal found largely in NE-India is known for its low-fat, highly nutritious meat

NE will have its 1st international cross-border connectivity soon: Railways

Sabyasachi De said that for the overall development of railway infrastructure in the Northeastern region, for the first time, an amount of Rs. 1.20 lakh crore has been earmarked