Page 7 - North East

NERPC meet takes decision on key issues of Northeast's power sector

The 24th Technical Coordination Committee meeting of the North East Regional Power Committee (NERPC) discussed various crucial issues pertaining to the power sector in the region. The meeting chaired by Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein at Tawang on Wednesday discussed the challenges and opportunities for the development of the power sector in the northeastern states. Mein, who is the chairman of the NERPC, in his address, lauded the successful deliberation of the meeting towards resolving issues through the spirit of cooperation, leading to significant improvement of the power sector in the North Eastern Region. The deputy chief minister said the power sector holds immense importance as one of the core industries contributing to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). "Power is not only a raw material for industries but also a basic necessity for the general public. Therefore, discussions on power sector issues in forums like NERPC are vital," he said. Mein ad

The Fern Hotels to add 1,000 additional rooms spanning 13 hotels: Suhail

The Fern Hotels & Resorts will be adding 1,000 more rooms spanning 13 hotels this fiscal, most of which will come up in the East and Northeastern markets, as the group seeks geographical diversification. The city-based hotel chain, which follows an asset-light model, wherein it does mostly operations and maintenance, has already added seven hotels this year, taking their total assets to 100 properties in 85 cities mostly in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Concept Hospitality, the holding company was founded by the veteran hotel management professional Param Kannampilly in 1996. Concept Hospitality runs five brands, which straddles from 5-star hotels under the Fern brand (27 hotels), the 4-star Fern Residency (26 properties), the Beacon brand of 23 economy hotels, the Zinc Journey by the Fern -- an upscale lifestyle brand (two operations) and the Fern Habitat (two properties offering upscale service apartments). "We have already opened seven hotels this year, the latest in Palghar near ...

RBI opens sub-office at Kohima, to increase presence in north east

The Reserve Bank on Tuesday opened a sub-office at Kohima, and announced its aim to soon have an office in Itanagar to strengthen its presence in North East India. Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra inaugurated the office in the capital of Nagaland, which will help expand the central bank's presence in the north-eastern region, as per an official statement. In the north-eastern region, RBI is present in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland, the statement said. RBI's Guwahati office will continue to cater to the needs of Arunachal Pradesh till the office in Itanagar is opened, it said. The Kohima sub-office houses Financial Inclusion and Development Department (FIDD), Consumer Education and Protection Cell (CEPC), Market Intelligence Cell and Human Resource Management Department (HRMD), while the currency management for Nagaland will continue from the Guwahati office. The newly inaugurated sub-office is headed by general manager Paresh Chauhan, the central

Sikkim's financial condition improved since SKM came to power in 2019: CM

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, better known as P S Golay, on Wednesday claimed that the financial condition of the Himalayan state has improved since his party Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) came to power in 2019. Addressing a function to celebrate the four years of his government, Golay said revenue collection has increased by 57 per cent since 2019. He said efforts were underway to further boost revenue without burdening the citizens through the adoption of strategic measures with transparency. "We all need to work with the spirit of 'Team Sikkim' to take the state on the path of progress and prosperity," he said, while seeking blessings from people to work for the development of the state. The programme was held four days after the actual date when the SKM came to power in Sikkim as Golay was in Delhi. The CM said he has taken up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi issues such as the reservation of assembly seats for tribal communities like Limbu and Tamang and the dema

Modi govt raised Railway budget for NE, helped expedite projects: Vaishnaw

Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said before 2014, the allocation for the railways for the northeast was Rs 2,000 crore but, under the Modi government, it has increased to Rs 10,200 crore, helping expedite projects in the region. Talking to reporters at the Guwahati railway station ahead of the launch of the semi-high speed Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express, he also said by June, all states where electrification of routes has been done, will have Vande Bharat trains. Connecting Guwahati in Assam with New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, the train will help save about an hour of journey time, compared to the current fastest train connecting the two places. It will cover the journey in five-and-a-half hours while the current fastest train takes about six-and-a-half hours to cover the distance, the PMO said in a statement on Sunday. "Fifteen to 20 years ago, whatever good thing used to happen used to go to big cities, these took time to reach the northeast," the minister .

Integrating NE with neighbouring nations could raise GDP by 8%: World Bank

Responding to a query regarding India's potential for export and import in the region, the official remarked that currently India only trades one-third of its potential with the South Asia region

Movement of trucks with essentials continue under security cover in Manipur

Trucks carrying essential commodities to violence-hit Manipur are plying with special security cover to ensure that there is no shortage of goods in the Northeastern state, a defence spokesperson said on Sunday. The Army and Assam Rifles along with the state government, Manipur Police and central armed police forces are working in close coordination to assure protection to vehicles carrying such goods to and from Imphal via NH 37, the defence spokesperson said. Prophylactic Area Domination Patrols of Army and Assam Rifles, Quick Reaction Teams operating from Company Operating Bases located along NH 37, aerial surveillance by unmanned aerial vehicles and Cheetah helicopters, Companies of CRPF and Manipur Police personnel along with persons from India Reserve Battalion are tasked to ensure the security of civilian vehicles plying on NH 37, he said. To guarantee dedicated security, vehicles are also accompanied by Quick Reaction Teams of the Manipur Police and CRPF, he added. T ruck

Govt to set up task force for land governance in North-Eastern states

A task force will be set up for land governance in the North-Eastern states, the Union Rural Development Ministry said on Wednesday. The decision was taken at the recently concluded National Conference on "Land Governance in North Eastern States" held in Guwahati, Assam on May 3-4. The territorial and autonomous district councils in the states of Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya held that digitisation and modernisation of land records is essential for development in the region. Deliberations in the first-ever such national conference included sessions on current state practices and modernisation of land records, land governance assessment framework and a session on customary and indigenous laws, current practices and new initiatives and role of survey of India in land records modernization. While the initiatives of computerisation and digitisation of land records and maps have shown good progress in the rest part of Assam, it was seen that there are serious gaps in the areas .

Section 144 imposed in Assam's Dima Hasao after tripartite accord signed

After the signing of the historic tripartite pac between the Centre, Assam government and insurgent group DNLA, the district administration imposed section 144 of the CrPC in the Dima Hasao district

North East students' body urges Centre to revoke AFSPA from all NE states

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), the apex body of student outfits in the region, has demanded the complete removal of AFSPA and implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the entire Northeast. NESO chairman Samuel B Jywra, in a press conference here on Tuesday, demanded that Common University Entrance Test (CUET) should not be conducted for the northeastern states as students of the region lag behind pupils in other parts of the country in many aspects. NESO advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya demanded the establishment of more technical and non-technical institutions in the region. He demanded that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the region be identified as deported. "NESO opposes the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act," Bhattacharya said. He said the region has faced a "lot of atrocities" due to Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, with the latest being the killing of 13 daily wagers at Oting in Nagaland's Mon district on December 4, 2021. "We have .

Steps taken to implement Act East policy for NE, Bangladesh: Reddy

Emphasizing close ties between India's Northeast and Bangladesh, DoNER Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday asserted that the Narendra Modi government has taken concrete steps to implement the Act East policy for mutual benefits. The Bay of Bengal is very close to the Northeast and there is a need for cooperation from its immediate neighbour, Bangladesh, for development of the region, he said during the third India-Japan Intellectual Conclave here. Highlighting the Modi government's efforts for developing connectivity, Reddy mentioned the number of airports in the region has increased from nine in 2014 to 17 in 2023. Rs 5 lakh crore has been spent for growth in the region, Rs 1 lakh crore has been spent for road works and Rs 77,000 crore has been invested in railway connectivity in the past nine years, he said. Reddy said Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a vibrant village project in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday. The central government has set a target of covering all the isolat

Old faces, new realities: Sangma, Rio, Saha will have to walk a tightrope

Even as BJP bridges gap between Northeast and rest of India with each election win and electorate opted for continuity over change, CM Sangma, Rio, and Saha will have to walk a tightrope

No hung assembly, NDA to form govt in all three NE states: Himanta

Asserting there will not be hung assembly in either Tripura, Nagaland or Meghalaya, as predicted in some exit polls, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said the NDA will form governments with absolute majority in all the three northeastern states. Sarma, the NEDA convenor, said no NDA (National Democratic Alliance) partner will go into any alliance with either Congress or the Trinamool Congress after the results are declared on Thursday. "There will be no hung assembly. The NDA will form governments in all the three states," he said at a press conference here. Several exit polls have predicted hung assemblies in Tripura and Meghalaya although the NDA will be the largest block. Only in Nagaland, psephology surveys have predicted the return of the NDA to power with an absolute majority. When asked about candidates for the chief minister's post in the three states, Sarma said there will be a status quo in Tripura and Nagaland. "Tripura will have a BJP CM, while we a

Exit polls 2023: Advantage BJP in Tripura, alliance to win Nagaland

Hung house predicted in Meghalaya

Meghalaya to get film city if BJP wins polls, says MP Ravi Kishan

Actor turned BJP MP Ravi Kishan on Monday claimed that the BJP in Meghalaya will build a film city if the party is voted to power in the February 27 assembly election. Just as the party did in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP will do the same here, he said. "Since the youth of Shillong are immersed in music and art, the BJP will build a film city here if voted to power," he said. Kishan said it will create jobs for the youths in the state. "From support staff to soundman, to technician, to artists, to managers, a wide variety of job vacancies will be created in the state by the film city," he said. It will become a tool to showcase the beauty, diversity, culture and rich traditions of Meghalaya to the rest of the world.

Airtel 5G Plus now live in all north-eastern states, says Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said that its 5G services are now live in all states in the north-east region and existing data plans will work on 5G until the roll-out is complete.

Budget 2023: 113% increase in allotment for northeast, highest ever

The Finance Ministry has budgeted Rs 5892 crore for FY24 for the region, which is 113 per cent more than the RE 2022-23

Centre successful in establishing peace, prosperity in North East: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Central govt has achieved success in its goal of establishing the three P's of Peace, Progress and Prosperity in Nagaland and other northeastern states

BJP freed Manipur from terrorism, bandhs; brought development, says Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asserted that the BJP government in the state freed Manipur from bandhs and terrorism and brought it on the path of development. Addressing a public rally at Moirang in Bishnupur district after virtually inaugurating 12 projects worth Rs 300 crore and laying the foundation stone of nine projects worth Rs 1,007 crore, Shah said the BJP government defeated insurgency and lifted Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 or AFSPA from six districts of the state. "There was a situation of terror during the Congress rule in Manipur. Now, it is among the best governed small states," he said. Shah said the BJP-led government at the Centre has invested Rs 3.45 lakh crore in the Northeast in less than eight years and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the region 51 times during this period. Noting that the N Biren Singh government in the state is undertaking massive operations against drug trafficking and abuse, he said the BJP will make Manipur ..

TN Guv inaugurates Octave 2023, says North East part of growth stories

The nation's perspective of the North East has changed with the passage of time and those states have now become part of the India's growth stories, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi said on Tuesday. The North East states are now part of the "stories of rising India" as they are bubbling with capabilities and aspirations towards developments and advancements on par with other regions of the country, he said while inaugurating the Octave 2023 - a festival being held under the aegis of the South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur, to showcase the indigenous art and culture of the North East India, here. "Now, their regions are no more trouble area as narrated in the past due to misunderstanding about the finest of our people. Even the nation's perspective of the North East has changed now," the Governor said. The North East people are most talented, innocent, emotional with full of energy and enthusiasm, the Governor, who is the Chairman of SZCC said and added the people of North East bound .