Northeast India

Govt committed to 'Act East, Act Fast' for northeastern states: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said his government was not only committed to its 'Act East' policy but was resolved to 'Act Fast' for the eight northeastern states, which he described as India's 'Ashtalakshmi' -- representing the multifaceted nature of prosperity, wealth, and auspiciousness. Asserting that tourism was the mainstay of Sikkim's economy, Modi said his government's focus is on boosting the state's connectivity, which would increase tourist inflow. "The government is committed to augmenting Sikkim's infrastructure, including building an expressway from West Bengal's Bagdogra, and a ring road in Gangtok to increase tourist inflow," Modi said during his 35-minute speech at a grand function at Paljor Stadium here to mark the conclusion of the year-long celebrations of 50 years of Sikkim's statehood. He also said that ropeway and skyways projects are on the anvil for the state, while an expressway would be built in Nathula to ensure more tourist inflow. "The ...

PM Modi unveils development projects worth ₹4,000 crore in Sikkim

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched development projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore in Sikkim while attending the closing ceremony of the state's 50 years of statehood celebrations. The projects span a wide range of sectors such as infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism and agriculture, the officials said. These projects are aimed at accelerating holistic and inclusive development in Sikkim. The PM's visit marks an important milestone in the golden jubilee year of Sikkim's statehood and reflects the government's "continued commitment to the rapid and sustainable development of the Himalayan state", the officials said.

Manipur violence displaced over 58,800 people, killed 217 since May 2023

A total of 58,821 people have been displaced by the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3, 2023 till March 30 this year, the state government has said. The figures were furnished by the Home Department Secretariat on April 20 in response to an RTI filed by Manipur Congress leader Hareshwar Goshwami. On the number of deaths and injured in connection with the ethnic violence since May 2023, the department said "217 people as per ex-gratia given to NoK (next of the kin)". It said the number of relief camps till March 10, 2026 stood at 174, while 3,000 pre-fabricated houses have been constructed by the Manipur Police Housing Corporation Ltd. The department also said 7,894 permanent houses were destroyed and 2,646 houses were partially destroyed since May 3, 2023. Goshwami, in a social media post, said it took him "seven months of effort" to receive the information on the internally displaced persons (IDPs). The ethnic violence had erupted in May 2023, between the valley-based Meitei

21 held for 'involvement' in violence during protest march in Manipur

At least 21 people were arrested for their alleged involvement in violence during a rally in Manipur's Imphal West district two days ago, police said on Monday. During the violence on April 18, vehicles of security personnel were pelted with stones, petrol bombs hurled, leaving three personnel injured, a senior officer said. "Twenty-one people have been arrested in connection with the mob violence," he said. The torch rally was organised in protest against a recent bomb attack in which two children were killed. "On Saturday, a torch rally was taken out along Imphal Jiribam road, organised by various CSOs (civil society organisations) from Patsoi to Sagolband, during which the mob became violent and resorted to stone pelting, hurling petrol bombs, use of catapults, and boulders on police personnel, resulting in multiple injuries," the police said in a statement. During the incident, the vehicles of security forces were vandalised, and three personnel of the 232 Battalion CRPF susta

North Sikkim landslides: Army rescues 135 tourists, many still stranded

A total of 135 stranded tourists have been rescued by the Army from North Sikkim, where multiple landslides have snapped road connectivity, officials said on Thursday. Around 1,000 tourists remain stranded in Lachen, with sustained efforts underway to ensure their rescue at the earliest, they said. The rescue operation is being carried out by the Trishakti Corps under the Eastern Command amid heavy snowfall, they added. Critical passes have been opened and alternate routes activated to facilitate the rescue mission, named 'Operation Him Setu', officials said. A total of 32 light vehicles and 10 motorcycles have been moved out so far, with Army vehicles deployed to tow civilian vehicles across steep, snowbound stretches, they said. Medical emergencies and those requiring immediate assistance are being prioritised, officials said. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working in close coordination with the Army, undertaking continuous road clearance, snow removal and restoration o

2 dead, 20 injured in firing after mob storms CRPF camp in Manipur

At least two persons were killed and 20 others injured in firing by security forces after hundreds of people stormed a CRPF camp in Manipur's Bishnupur district and burnt vehicles during a protest on Tuesday, the police said. A large number of youths and women were holding a protest against the killing of two children in a bomb attack by suspected militants in Moirang Tronglaobi area earlier in the day, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said. The home minister said that the protesters stormed the CRPF camp near Gelmol, around 100 metres from the bomb attack site, burnt vehicles and vandalised properties there, he said. "I had urged the protesters not to enter the CRPF camp and to allow security forces to focus on conducting an operation to apprehend those involved in the bomb attack," the minister said. But the demonstrators did not pay heed to the appeal. "They stormed the CRPF camp, burnt vehicles and vandalised portions of the camp, leading to firing by security personnel. They

Manipur CM chairs high-level meeting after 2 children die in bomb attack

Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the law and order situation in the state, after two children were killed in a bomb attack in Bishnupur district. Singh said his government is committed to restoring peace and stability at the earliest. "Chaired a high-level meeting with Hon'ble MLAs today at the secretariat to review the prevailing situation and deliberate on necessary measures to de-escalate tensions," he said in a post on X. "While peace and normalcy have been disturbed, we remain firmly committed to restoring stability at the earliest. The government is actively exploring all viable options and taking decisive steps to bring back peace, ensure public safety, and uphold law and order across the state," he said. The incident occurred around 1 am when a bomb was hurled by suspected militants at a house in Moirang Tronglaobi area, killing a five-year-old boy and a six-month-old girl, a senior police officer said. Locals stage

Planters' body ask Assam govt to address concerns for providing land patta

Planters' body, Tea Association of India (TAI), has urged the Assam government to address its concerns regarding the transfer of housing line land to workers under a new amended law. While appreciating the government's intent to provide land patta to the tea garden workers, it called for clear guidelines in the matter so that the "administrative" concerns are taken care of. Speaking at the 37th Biennial General Meeting of TAI, Assam Branch, here on Saturday, TAI president Shailja Mehta said the concerns of the industry should be considered before implementation of the new law. She pointed out that in many cases, tea garden land is mortgaged as collateral with banks, and transfer may create financial and legal complications. Further, the Land Ceiling Act applies only to land and not to company-built assets such as labour quarters. "Adequate compensation should therefore be ensured under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlem

No centralised data on racial bias against people from Northeast: Govt

No centralised data is maintained on incidents of "hate speech, racial slurs, harassment and discrimination" against people from the Northeast, the government said on Tuesday while stressing that policing and public order fall under the domain of state governments. Responding to a question by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said states are responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crimes, and prosecution of offenders. " 'Police' and 'Public Order' are state subjects as per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The state governments are responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crime and for prosecuting the criminals through their law enforcement agencies," Rai said. He said the National Crime Records Bureau compiles and publishes crime data received from states and union territories in its "Crime in India" reports, which are available till 2023. However, "d

Arunachal to digitally share details about schemes in tribal languages

Arunachal Pradesh Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ojing Tasing said the state government is working on a digital governance system with a local language interface to help people in rural areas better understand schemes and also to strengthen grassroots administration. The minister said the government plans to introduce digital screens in villages and train panchayat leaders to operate them, besides launching a comprehensive online system to monitor administrative functioning at the grassroots level. "We are trying to develop a system through which villagers can easily understand government schemes. Arunachal Pradesh has 26 major tribes and when you go to the villages, many people do not understand English or Hindi properly. We are exploring ways to convert information into a format that people can understand," Tasing told PTI in an interview. He said the proposal, which has been discussed with Chief Minister Pema Khandu, may initially be implemented as a pilot project

Curfew extended in Meghalaya's West and East Garo Hills amid unrest

Curfew has been extended in Meghalaya's violence-hit West Garo Hills district till 6 am on Sunday, officials said. It will be enforced across the district, with relaxation from 9 am to 3 pm on Saturday to procure essential items, according to an order issued by District Magistrate Vibhor Aggarwal. Meanwhile, curfew imposed in the East Garo Hills district will continue until further orders, the officials said. Williamnagar Main Bazar in East Garo Hills will be permitted to open from 6 am to 1 pm, District Magistrate R P Marak said in another order. During the curfew period, residents have been asked to remain indoors, with movement in the two districts prohibited, except during the relaxation hours, the officials said. Law enforcement agencies, magistrates and police officers have been directed to strictly enforce the order and take action against violators, they said. Violence erupted earlier this week in parts of West Garo Hills, including Chibinang and Tura, during protests lin

Amazon expands its dedicated air cargo services to northeastern region

Amazon has expanded its dedicated air cargo network, Amazon Air, to the Northeast with new Delhi-Kolkata-Guwahati routes aimed at cutting transit times and improving delivery speeds

BJP ensured peace in NE, Congress worked for 'selfish interests': PM Modi

Asserting that sounds of bombs and gunfire are a thing of the past in the Northeast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the BJP ensured long-lasting peace in the region, while the Congress signed various accords for "selfish interests". Addressing a public meeting in Assam's Kokrajhar district virtually from Guwahati after rain disrupted his travel schedule, Modi said the state was writing a new chapter of peace and development under the "double-engine" government. Modi alleged Congress endangered national security by handing over the land of indigenous people to infiltrators. "Punish Congress in the upcoming elections and give a clear message that there is no place for infiltrators in this country," he added.

BSF vehicle burnt, personnel injured amid unrest in Meghalaya's Garo Hills

A vehicle part of the convoy of a Border Security Force DIG was set on fire and some personnel were injured in an attack by a group of people amid the ongoing unrest in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya, officials said on Thursday. The incident took place on Wednesday evening when the deputy inspector general (DIG), along with other officials, was returning from a meeting in Tura town in the West Garo Hills district near the India-Bangladesh border, they said. The DIG and the officials accompanying him suffered minor injuries in the incident. A Border Security Force (BSF) vehicle part of the convoy was burnt as it was left behind, the officials said. The BSF guards the India-Bangladesh border. It is deployed in Meghalaya as 443 km of the 4,096-km border passes through the state. Clashes between tribals and non-tribals over filing nomination papers in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHACD) elections left two people dead on Tuesday. Mobile internet services were suspend

Meghalaya violence: Total curfew in East Garo Hills relaxed for 5 hours

The total curfew imposed in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district following the death of two persons in violence in adjoining West Garo Hills district two days ago was relaxed from 8 am to 1 pm on Thursday to allow people to procure essential items, officials said. The curfew had been imposed in East Garo Hills district under Section 163 of the BNSS following apprehensions of disturbance to public peace and tranquility in the wake of the violence in West Garo Hills. East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner R P Marak said the relaxation was allowed to enable residents to procure essential commodities, while security forces continued to maintain vigil in sensitive areas. Violence erupted in West Garo Hills during protests linked to the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), with demonstrators opposing the participation of non-Garo communities in the filing of nominations for the polls. Two persons were killed and several others injured when police opened fire to .

PM inaugurates bridge on Brahmaputra; unveils IIM, data centre in Assam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated several projects in Assam, including a bridge on the Brahmaputra River, an IIM and a data centre for the northeastern region. The projects, which were rolled out months ahead of Assam assembly elections, aim to boost connectivity, strengthen digital infrastructure, promote higher education and enhance public transport. Modi reached the state on a day-long visit to inaugurate an emergency landing facility (ELF) at Moran in Dibrugarh district and launch projects worth over Rs 5,500 crore. The first project the prime minister inaugurated in the state capital was a six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra River. He launched the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore. The six-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete (PSC) bridge will connect Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in the Northeast. After the inauguration, Modi took a walk on the bridge. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Achar

Centre signs tripartite pact for Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority

The Centre Thursday signed a tripartite agreement with the Nagaland government and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation for the formation of 'Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority', a long standing demand for a new administrative body within the state aimed at addressing the demands of eastern Nagaland. The agreement was signed in the presence of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who said the Centre will extend all help and fulfil all its responsibilities for the development of eastern Nagaland. "The agreement will pave the way for creation of Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for six districts of Nagaland viz. Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator, and devolution of powers in respect of 46 Subjects to the FNTA," an official statement said. It said the agreement provides for mini-secretariat for FNTA, headed by Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary, sharing of development outlay for the eastern Nagala

Kuki groups warn MLAs against joining Manipur govt formation, call shutdown

Several Kuki groups in Manipur have warned their community legislators not to participate in government formation in the northeastern state, with calls for a "total shutdown" in Churachandpur and protest demonstrations at several places. BJP MLA Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday became the 13th Chief Minister of Manipur, nearly a year after the resignation of BJP leader N Biren Singh, following months of ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the state, leading to the imposition of President's Rule. Nemcha Kipgen, a BJP MLA who belongs to the Kuki community, and Naga People's Front legislator L Dikho, took oath as deputy chief ministers of Manipur. Reacting to the development , the Joint Forum of Seven (JF7), a tribal organisation based in Churachandpur district, called for a "total shutdown" in Kuki Zo-dominated areas from 6 am to 6 pm on Friday. It urged all community members to join the protests across villages in a democratic way, reiterating the demand for a

Y Khemchand Singh takes oath as Manipur CM; two deputies sworn in

BJP leader Y Khemchand Singh was sworn in as the chief minister of Manipur on Wednesday. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla administered the oath of office and secrecy to him. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Lok Bhavan here, hours after the President's rule in Manipur was revoked. Restive Manipur had been under the President's rule since February last year. The ceremony was attended by several BJP legislators, senior party functionaries, and top leaders of the NDA in the state.

Y Khemchand Singh will be next Manipur CM; woman Kuki MLA to be deputy CM

Y Khemchand Singh was elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in Manipur on Tuesday, paving the way for the formation of a popular government in the northeastern state with him as chief minister. Nemcha Kipgen, a woman Kuki leader and former minister, is likely to be the deputy chief minister in the new Manipur government when it is formed, sources said. A meeting of the legislators of all constituents of the National Democratic Alliance will be held on Tuesday night, where Singh and Kipgen's names are expected to be endorsed. Sources said Singh, a former minister, was elected as leader of the Manipur legislature party at a meeting of BJP MLAs held at the party headquarters here. Except for two BJP MLAs, who are unwell, all other party legislators attended the meeting. Former chief minister N Biren Singh, Assembly speaker Satyabrata Singh, BJP state president A Sharda Devi, the party's central observer Tarun Chugh and its northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, among others, w