Northeast

Over 1,700 acres of forest land in Assam cleared of encroachments: Himanta

Over 1,700 acres of reserve forest land in Assam's Hojai district have been cleared of encroachments, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He asserted that no encroachment will be tolerated. "GAME OVER for illegal encroachment at Jamuna-Moudanga RF. Mission completed as 5,250 bighas reclaimed through peaceful, lawful & decisive action," Sarma said in a post on X on Saturday, referring to an eviction drive on 1,732.5 acres in the area. "No cheat codes needed. Consider this your warning: Illegal encroachment will NOT be tolerated," Sarma asserted. Since the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government came to power in 2021, it has carried out a series of evictions to clear land from alleged encroachments, mostly affecting the Bengali-speaking Muslim population. Sarma had said during his press interaction on New Year's Day that so far, eviction drives have been carried out to clear 1,45,000 bighas (47,850 acres) of land. On November 3 last year, the chief minister asserted that eviction .

Mobile net services restored in Assam's Karbi Anglong as situation improves

Mobile internet services in violence-hit Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts of Assam were restored on Sunday following improvement in the law and order situation, an official order said. Strict security vigil continued in the districts, along with the deployment of additional security forces in the worst-affected areas, an official said. Two persons were killed and over 170 people injured, mostly security personnel, in violence in parts of West Karbi Anglong district last week. An order by Ajay Tewari, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Political Department, said mobile internet services, which had been suspended on December 23, have been restored with immediate effect. The order said that the law and order situation in the two districts has "improved and normalised, and it appears that there is no further apprehension of breach of public peace and tranquility for the time being". It added that the earlier order suspending mobile internet services was revoked f

Tripura in 2025 becomes fully literate as BJP-TMP feud, border risks loom

Tripura was declared the third fully literate state in the country, after Mizoram and Goa, while the simmering tussle between ruling allies BJP and Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and security threats from Bangladesh were major issues in the state this year. The state's literacy rate reached 95.6 per cent. The Ministry of Education, as per UNESCO guidelines, has set the 95 per cent mark for declaring a state fully literate. The northeastern state witnessed an internal feud between TMP and BJP, with workers from both sides injured in attacks and counter-attacks in the run-up to the upcoming elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). TMP supremo and former royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma reiterated his party's stand on the implementation of the Tiprasa Accord and adoption of Roman script for Kokborok language, spoken by the tribals in the state. He had also warned that the party would fight the TTAADC polls, due in April next year, alone if ...

Assam's West Karbi Anglong district limping back to normal after violence

An uneasy calm prevailed in violence-hit areas of West Karbi Anglong district of Assam with no fresh incident reported even as a massive posse of security personnel kept a tight vigil, officials said on Thursday. The Karbi and Bihari communities have been at loggerheads in West Karbi Anglong district over allegations of encroachment on Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands in the tribal belts by the Hindi-speaking people. "The situation is calm now and there is no report of any violence. Our forces are on the ground and they are patrolling all sensitive areas," a senior official told PTI. He said a huge number of personnel from Assam Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Indian Army are on the ground, and monitoring the situation closely. The official also said that the funerals of the two deceased were held peacefully on Wednesday night as per their respective customs. The body of specially abled youth Sures

Modi's report card in Northeast extremely poor: Assam Congress chief

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Congress for allegedly neglecting Assam, state party chief Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday hit back, claiming that the prime minister's report card in the Northeast was "extremely poor" across sectors. Gogoi, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, slammed the ruling party, saying that public sector undertakings are shutting their shops one after another during the present government's regime. Earlier in the day, Modi accused the Congress of ignoring Assam and the Northeast during its rule and asserted that the BJP-led government was correcting mistakes made by the opposition party over decades. "Modi's report card as PM is extremely poor in almost every sector in Assam and the Northeast, including industrial development, addressing unemployment issues and generation of employment," he told reporters here. Over the past 11 years, public sector undertakings in Assam have been shut down one after another, Gogoi

Patel Engineering inks pact with Arunachal for restoring Gongri project

Patel Engineering on Thursday announced signing an initial pact with Arunachal Pradesh government for restoration and development of the 144 MW Gongri Hydropower Project in the state. This initiative marks a significant milestone in advancing clean energy infrastructure in India's Northeast, a company statement said. The Gongri project, located near Dirang town on the Gongri river was terminated but has now been revived under the framework 'Arunachal Pradesh Restoration of Terminated Large Hydropower Policy under Special Circumstances, 2025.' The Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet recently approved the restoration of this project, making it the first project to be revived under this framework. The total project value is estimated at Rs 1,700 crore and would take around 4 years for completion. Hydro power projects like Gongri will not only generate clean energy but also create employment opportunities, improve local infrastructure, and contribute to sustainable development in the region. U

Centre gives another extension to commission probing Manipur violence

The Centre on Tuesday gave another extension till May 20, 2026 to a Commission of Inquiry to submit its report on the probe into the 2023 Manipur violence that claimed 260 lives, a government notification said. The three-member panel, headed by former chief justice of the Gauhati High Court Ajai Lamba, was formed on June 4, 2023 in the aftermath of the ethnic violence which broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023. The other two members of the commission included retired IAS officer Himanshu Shekhar Das and retired IPS officer Aloka Prabhakar. In the notification issued by the Union Home Ministry, the commission will now submit its report to the Central government "as soon as possible but not later than the 20th May, 2026". The inquiry commission was mandated to probe the causes and spread of the violence and riots targeting members of different communities. The commission was supposed to submit its report to the Central government "as soon as possible but not later than six months from

Projects worth ₹5,700 cr sanctioned for northeast under PM-DevINE: Scindia

As many as 44 projects worth about Rs 5,700 crore have been sanctioned under the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for the North East Region, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has said, adding that the ministry was set to utilise the scheme outlay. Chairing a meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region on Wednesday, the minister said the Modi government is committed to ensuring rapid, transparent, and outcome-oriented development in the region, with the Prime Minister's Development Initiative for the North East Region (PM-DevINE) serving as a key catalyst for infrastructure and socio-economic transformation. Scindia, the Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region, termed the initiative the "most important scheme of the ministry" and said it was conceptualised in the Union Budget 2022-2023, according to an official release. He said the scheme has a total outlay of Rs 6,600 crore for the period 2022-2023 to 2025-2026

Tripura govt signs two skill development MoUs with IIT Delhi, Tata IIS

To enhance skill development of youth with emerging industry demands, the Tripura government has signed two MoUs with IIT Delhi and Tata IIS, an official said on Sunday. These partnerships aim to train a total of 1,000 candidates in cutting-edge job roles aligned with emerging industry demands, thereby boosting local employment and reducing outmigration. "The first MoU, signed with IIT Delhi, will train 500 candidates in five futuristic job rolesArtificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, and 5G technologies. These programmes will be implemented in collaboration with NIELIT Agartala, Tripura Institute of Technology (TIT), and other government institutions in the state," Director of Skill Development, Pradeep K told PTI. He said funding will be jointly provided through PMKVY 4.0 (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana) and the state-supported MMDUP (Mukhya Mantri Dakyatha Unnyanan Prakalpa) scheme. Ashutosh Dutt Sharma, CEO of IHFC (I-Hub Foundation

IDPs clash with security forces in Manipur as they try to return home

Hundreds of internally displaced people (IDPs) staying in relief camps here clashed with security forces at Pukhao and near Dolaithabi Dam in Imphal East district on Monday as they attempted to return to their native homes, officials said. IDPs from Ekou, Dolaithabi and Yengkhuman localities, who had been staying in relief camps, attempted to march towards their homes but were stopped by security forces. The security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, they said. The IDPs claimed that, as the annual Sangai festival is being held, normalcy has been established in the state, and they should be allowed to return to their homes. A protester, S Kumarjit Meitei told reporters, "We are mostly farmers. Our economic livelihood has been completely cut off after we were forced to flee our homes. Now that the government has said that normalcy has returned. We demand to return home. How long do we stay confined in relief camps. Why can't security forces deal with the milita

Singapore Police to provide evidence in Zubeen Garg case in 10 days: SIT

Singapore Police Force (SPF) is likely to provide crucial evidence, including CCTV footage and statements of eye witnesses, related to the death of Zubeen Garg within the next 10 days, a senior official said on Friday. Addressing a press conference, CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta said the Assam Police has requested their counterparts in the Southeast Asian nation to provide all relevant information to complete the ongoing investigation in a timely manner. Gupta and Titabor Co-District SP Tarun Goel, who had gone to Singapore four days ago to probe the unnatural death of the singer, returned on Thursday. Gupta is heading the SIT, while Goel is a member of the nine-member group formed to probe the case. "We met the Indian High Commissioner in Singapore and discussed all legal assistance required. We also had a discussion with a five-member high-level delegation of SPF, and it was a very fruitful meeting," Gupta told reporters here. The two police forces deliberated on the ...

We will file chargesheet, says Assam CM on Zubeen Garg's death case

Assam CM also expressed complete confidence in the SIT probe into the death of Zubeen Garg

Assam Police team reaches Singapore to probe singer Zubeen Garg's death

Two senior officials of the Assam Police reached Singapore on Monday to investigate the death of singer Zubeen Garg in the island country last month, an official said. An SIT under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Assam Police is currently probing Garg's death case after more than 60 FIRs were lodged across the state. According to a senior official, CID Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta and Titabor Co-District SP Tarun Goel have already reached Singapore in a direct flight from Guwahati. Gupta is heading the special investigation team (SIT), while Goel is a member of the nine-member group. The official declined to share the details of the probe in Singapore, but a source said the two SIT members will visit the "place of occurrence where Garg had breathed his last". "Linking the series of events with the place of occurrence is one of the most important aspects of the entire investigation process. Besides, the Assam Police team will sit with their counterparts in ...

A month on, Assam mourns Zubeen as family, fans seek answers on his death

Even after the passage of a month after the death of cultural icon Zubeen Garg, people of Assam continued to mourn the loss, seeking answers on the final moments of the singer. Garg died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19. Garg's wife, Garima, said the family, along with the people of the state, are waiting to know what happened in his final moments, and expressed faith in the legal system to unravel the truth. Hundreds thronged Garg's cremation site at Sonapur, on the outskirts of Guwahati, since early this morning, paying tributes to their beloved singer-composer. Fans and friends of the singer-composer also visited his residence at Kahilipara area of the city and his studio in Zoo Road area to be with his family and join them in remembering him. A 10-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of state police's CID is probing his death, with seven persons being arrested so far. Singapore Police are also conducting its investigation, with SIT officers from Assam

Zubeen Garg's associate Arun appears before CID in singer's death probe

Zubeen Garg's close associate Arun on Sunday appeared before CID's Special Investigating Team (SIT) which is probing the singer-composer's death in Singapore last month, officials said. They, however, did not divulge details of Arun's visit to the CID office here. Arun, whom Garg considered as family and was among the four persons who had lit his funeral pyre, demanded speedy justice for the deceased icon while talking to reporters later. The youth had been with Zubeen's family for several years and had even forsaken his family surname and identified himself as 'Arun Garg'. "We want justice for Dada (elder brother). There has been so much delay," Arun said. Asked about the alleged financial and other irregularities committed by other close associates of Garg, Arun said, "I don't know of all those things. I work mainly with 'Bou' (sister-in-law, referring to Garg's wife Garima)." "The only thing I know is that we need justice. Why is it taking so much time?" he questioned. On ...

Security forces recover rifles, ammunition during search ops in Manipur

Amid a major search operation in Manipur, security forces have recovered two rifles, five pistols and several ammunition from Khongakhul and Longa Koireng villages under the limits of Patsoi Police Station in Imphal West district.According to Manipur Police, the security forces on Saturday seized a .303 rifle along with one magazine, a modified .303 rifle along with one magazine, five pistols along with a magazine each, along with helmets, bulletproof vests, and 10 pairs of camouflage outfits."On 11.10.2025, Security Forces recovered from Ngairangbam Loukon IVR connecting Khongakhul & Longa Koireng Villages under Patsoi-PS, Imphal West district the following: i) 01 (one) .303 rifle along with one magazine, ii) 01 (one) modified .303 rifle along with one magazine, iii) 05 (five) pistols along with a magazine each, iv) 05 (five) helmets, v) 04 (four) BP vests cum magazine pouches, vi) 08 (eight) plates suspected to be used as BP, vii) 01 (one) no. of BAOFENG hand held set along ...

Zubeen Garg's 2 personal security officers held in singer's death case

Two personal security officers (PSOs) of Zubeen Garg were arrested on Friday in connection with the singer's death in Singapore last month, an official said. Nandeswar Bora and Paresh Baishya, deputed by the government as part of Garg's security detail, were suspended by the Assam Police on Tuesday after multiple rounds of questioning, he said. Financial transactions running into several lakhs of rupees were done through their bank accounts, raising suspicion, he added. With this, a total of seven people have been arrested in connection with Garg's death. Earlier, North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's cousin Sandipan Garg, his manager Siddhartha Sharma, musician Shekharjyoti Goswami and singer Amritprava Mahanta were arrested. Garg, a cultural icon for the state's people, died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19. He had gone to the Southeast Asian nation to participate in the North East India Festival.

2 band members sent to 14-day police remand in Zubeen Garg death case

A court in Assam on Friday sent Zubeen Garg's band members Shekharjyoti Goswami and Amritprabha Mahanta to 14 days of police remand in connection with the death of the singer-composer. Munna Prasad Gupta, the Special DGP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), told PTI that the local court sent the duo to 14 days of police remand. "The interrogation of all the four arrested accused is underway. I cannot share anything more at this moment," he said. Goswami and Mahanta were arrested on Thursday after days of interrogation. The duo was present on the yacht in Singapore, where Garg died on September 19 while swimming in the sea. Police have already invoked murder charges against Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, who were nabbed from Delhi on Wednesday.

Festival organiser arrested, Zubeen's manager remanded to 14 days' custody

North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and singer Zubeen Garg's manager Siddhartha Sharma have been remanded to 14 days' police custody by the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate, a senior police official said on Wednesday. The duo was arrested and brought to Guwahati from Delhi in connection with the singer's death in Singapore, the official added. Mahanta was arrested on his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi from Singapore while Sharma was arrested from an apartment in Gurugram. The official said Sharma's location was traced, and he was found to have been travelling across Delhi and Rajasthan. After they landed in Guwahati airport, the duo was taken to the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate's residence as courts are closed for Durga Puja. According to the official, the court remanded them to 14 days' police custody. Both were taken to the CID office from the CJM's residence. Meanwhile, Zubeen's wife Garima Saikia Garg, who i

BRO to complete strategically important road in Arunachal by March 2026

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Project Brahmank Chief Engineer S C Looniya has said that the double-laning of the 32-km Pene-Tato stretch of the strategically important Aalo-Mechuka road in Arunachal Pradesh's Shi-Yomi district will be completed by March 2026. Admitting that the project has been delayed, Looniya attributed the delay to land acquisition on a stretch of the road. He said, "We want to complete the formation-cutting immediately, to ensure that commuters don't face problems like road closure due to formation cutting and equipment movement. The stretch with all parameters will be completed, so that people get a safe, secure, satisfactory-level road connectivity." Looniya said our aim is to at least provide all-weather connectivity from Kaying in Siang district to Tato soon. "We are committed and are working vigorously to extend NH-13 to far-flung areas of Tato," he said. The chief engineer, however, maintained that black-topping of the road will take some time. On the