Page 2 - Northeast

Congress accuses BJP-led Centre of under-utilising budget for northeast

The Congress on Saturday accused the Centre of under-utilising the budget for the northeast and said it is the only political party that can deliver justice to the states in the region. "The Modi government's 'Bluff and Rule' policy continues to unravel. The Modi government has a history of allocating big budgets to the North East and then chronically underutilising these budgets in the last 10 years," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. He said since 2014, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has utilised the full budget for the northeast only on two occasions. "While the UPA consistently utilised around 90 per cent of the budget, the Modi government's utilisation falls to a mere 60 per cent regularly. "In FY23, the budget was Rs 2,755 crore. However, in June 2023, a report from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) revealed that the ministry utilised only Rs 989 crore (35.9 per cent) of its allocated budget," the former Union minister ..

Taiwan's labour minister apologises for racist jibe against Indian workers

Taiwan's Labour Minister Hsu Ming-chun has apologised for her inappropriate comments on her government's plans to recruit Indian migrant workers from a particular region which drew sharp criticism for being racist. Taiwan plans to recruit Indian workers after signing an MOU with India on February 16 to bolster people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and help alleviate labour shortages in Taiwan's industries, according to a recent statement by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Elaborating on the recruitment plan, Hsu in a talk show on Taiwan television said her ministry will first recruit Indian workers from the North-Eastern states of India because "their skin colour and dietary habits are closer to ours," Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Tuesday. In addition, Hsu reported to have said the Indians there are "mostly Christians" who are adept at manufacturing, construction, and farming. Significantly, Hsu said the recruitment strategy was based on Minis

Manipur Police halts movement of transferred personnel 'in view of crisis'

The Manipur Police have halted the movement of transferred personnel "wherever applicable, in view of the current crisis". They stated that the transfer orders remain in effect but the personnel will be moved as and when required. The halt in the movement of transferred personnel came after a tribal body wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing concern over the safety of Kuki policemen in Meitei-dominated areas. The police stated that the transfer orders were issued to streamline excess manpower but there was no need for immediate movement of the personnel at this stage in view of the current crisis. "Reference to Manipur Police Headquarter order dated 14.02.2024 regarding transfer and posting of 177 (One hundred and seventy-seven) personnel of all communities of MR/IR units to various units, it is informed that the transfer and posting has been done in order to streamline the excess manpower against the sanctioned post available in all MR/IR units and to facilitate the ..

Govt invested Rs 5 trn in 10 years to transform North East: DoNER minister

Union minister B L Verma on Monday said the central government has invested Rs 5 lakh crore in the North East since 2014, while Rs 11 lakh crore more will be pumped into the region for its all-round development. This part of the country holds immense investment potential, said the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). "Already Rs 5 lakh crore has been invested by the government since 2014. While another Rs 11 lakh crore is underway for the region on developmental projects to improve infrastructure," Verma told PTI on the sidelines of the North East Investors Summit. FICCI was the industry partner for the summit. "I had met business groups of this region in one-to-one meetings and they have given encouraging feedback about their interest in investing in the region in varied sectors and sought our support to expedite their projects. Both big and medium-sized corporations have interest," he said. The interactions by the businessmen in Kolkata were focused

Traditional cooking practices in northeast pose more health risks than LPG

An IIT Mandi study found that traditional cooking practices that use biomass fuel in northeast Indian states lead to alarming health risks compared to LPG-using kitchens

Manipur CM meets representatives from 10 political parties to find solution

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said he has chaired a meeting with representatives of 10 political parties to address the current situation in the ethnic violence-hit state. He also said "constructive discussions" were held during the meeting at the CM secretariat on Sunday. "Chaired a meeting with representatives of the 10 political parties at my secretariat to address the current situation in Manipur. "Constructive discussions were held, reflecting a united commitment to navigate challenges and work collectively for the well-being of our state," Singh said on social media. After Sunday's meeting, Congress Legislative Party leader Okram Ibobi said the "10 political parties have urged the chief minister to seek an appointment with the prime minister and his intervention to end the more-than-8-month-long crisis". "Protecting the lives and properties of the people is the duty of the state government and the state has the right to ask the Centre for manpower and tools required f

Four people shot dead in continuing violence in Manipur's Bishnupur

Four people were shot dead in Manipur's Bishnupur district on Thursday evening as ethnic violence continued in the northeastern state, police said. The incident occurred at Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou and the victims included a man and his 60-year-old father. Police said they are investigating the case. Quoting one person who escaped the shooting, an official said, "Five-six armed miscreants came when the labourers were tiling the farmland and shot them from point-blank range." After shooting them down, the miscreants fled to the hill ranges from where they had come, the official added. With these four, at least seven people including two police commandos were killed in separate districts of the state since Wednesday. Manipur has been rocked by ethnic violence since May last year and over 180 people were killed. The violence erupted on May 3 after a Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST)

JN.1 becomes dominant strain in most parts of India, shows Insacog data

The prevalence of JN.1 is low in the Eastern region

Rains hamper normal life in 4 TN districts; relief likely from December 19

The four southernmost districts of Tamil Nadu on the eastern coast of India, Tenkasi, Thoohukudi, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari are expected to receive "very heavy rain" on Monday, December 18

Assembly polls: Counting of votes for Mizoram begins amid tight security

The counting of votes polled in the assembly elections in Mizoram began at 8 am on Monday amid tight security, officials said. Additional Chief Electoral Officer H Lianzela told PTI that the counting was being held in 13 centres across the state. One counting hall has been set up for each of the 40 assembly seats at these 13 centres, he said. The counting was supposed to happen on Sunday along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. However, it was deferred by the Election Commission following appeals by political parties, NGOs, churches and students' bodies as Sunday holds a special significance for the people of Mizoram, a Christian-majority state. Postal ballots were being counted first, and from 8.30 am, the votes polled in the EVMs will be counted, Lianzela said. Besides three counting centres in the Aizawl district, which has 12 assembly constituencies, one centre each has been set up in the 10 other districts, he said. In some of the seats that have a .

PM's visit to Manipur called for as part of 'efforts' for peace in NE: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at the Centre over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks hailing the Narendra Modi government's "relentless efforts to establish permanent peace in the Northeast", saying a visit by the prime minister to Manipur which has seen so much turmoil is called for as part of these "so-called efforts". Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh's attack on the government came after Home Minister Shah announced that the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), an extremist group operating in Manipur, signed a peace agreement with the government and agreed to renounce violence. "A historic milestone achieved!!! Modi govt's relentless efforts to establish permanent peace in the Northeast have added a new chapter of fulfilment as the United National Liberation Front signed a peace agreement today in New Delhi. "UNLF, the oldest valley-based armed group of Manipur, has agreed to renounce violence and join the mainstream. I welcome them to the democratic processes

BJP-led govt absolutely necessary if Mizoram is to develop further: Sonowal

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has exuded his confidence in his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning the Mizoram Assembly Elections, saying that the people of the north-eastern state will definitely consider that a BJP-led government is 'absolutely necessary' if Mizoram is to develop further.The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush visited Mizoram to campaign for BJP candidates for the November 7 assembly elections.Speaking to ANI, the union minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the nine and a half years, whatever development and exemplary transformation have taken place is a source of inspiration for the whole North East."Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the nine and a half years, whatever development and exemplary transformation have taken place is a source of inspiration for the whole North East... I firmly believe that the people of Mizoram, being the most advanced state in .

Centre sanctioned NH projects worth Rs 3 trillion in 10 yrs in NE: Gadkari

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said national highway projects worth nearly Rs 3 lakh core have been sanctioned in the past 10 years, increasing the length of NH by 45 per cent in the region. Gadkari, however, also warned that the authorities are facing land acquisition problems in some of the NE states such as Nagaland and Meghalaya and projects could be closed if the issues are not resolved soon. Addressing a press conference after reviewing the progress of NH works in Assam, Gadkari said, "Projects worth Rs 2,89,425 have been given to NE in the last 10 years. These comprise upcoming, ongoing and completed projects. He said the length of national highways in the region has gone up from about 10,800 km in 2014 to 15,740 km now. The union minister also announced sanction of Rs 800 crore under two schemes for Assam.

Manipur HC allows appealing against order on ST status for Meitei community

The Manipur High Court has allowed tribal organisations in the state to file an appeal against the controversial March 27 order which directed the state government to send a recommendation on ST status for the Meitei community. A division bench of Justice Ahanthem Bimol and Justice Guneshwar Sharma in its October 19 order allowed the tribal bodies to appeal against the order, saying, "the main grievances raised by the applicant is that they will be prejudicially affected if they are not given a chance to have a say or to raise objection in the matter of granting ST status to the Meitei community." A single judge bench had passed the controversial order on a petition filed by members of the Meitei Tribes Union, seeking that the state government be directed to act on their pleas for inclusion in the ST list. The March 27 order by then acting Chief Justice MV Muralidharan led to widespread objections from Kuki Zo bodies which was followed by a rally, organised by the All Tribal Student

NE underwent transformation to become investment destination: MoS IT

The northeastern region has undergone a "dramatic transformation" to become a competitive destination for investments, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said here. The Union Minister of State for IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, in an interview with PTI on Friday, said that connectivity was an issue in the region but that has completely changed. Now, one can quickly reach any state capital in the Northeast from any other part of the country, creating a big transformation in terms of potential opportunities for the region, he said. ''Connectivity was holding back the growth of business, technology and infrastructure in the region but during the last nine years, physical and technological connectivity were addressed and now the next step is to ensure economic expansion and to grow the GSDPs to double digits as the combined GSDPs of all the northeastern states is only about 8 per cent of the country's GDP," he said. The next stage of economic growth is the creation of job

PWD debars 6 contractors for delay in completion of projects in Delhi

The Public Works Department (PWD) has taken disciplinary action against six contractors for not completing projects on time, an official said on Sunday. A contractor, who was awarded the work of repairing roads in northeast Delhi has been debarred from tendering in Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for six months from the date of issue of order since he "had failed to complete the work", the official said. Similarly, another contractor firm has been debarred from tendering in CPWD for six months for not completing the work on the deteriorated portion of a road on Uttar Pradesh Link Road. Another contractor, who was awarded five contracts including the construction of the boundary wall of the new Rao Tula Ram Flyover, in 2021 was debarred from tendering for nine months. The other contractors have been disqualified for six months. All these contractors are registered with the CPWD. According to officials, these contractors were first served show cause notices, following which t

Indefinite blockade reimposed on national highways in Manipur's Kangpokpi

A tribal body in Manipur on Monday reimposed an indefinite blockade on two national highways in Kangpokpi district, demanding adequate supplies of essential commodities to Kuki-Zo communities in hill areas of the state. Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) Sadar Hills Kangpokpi began the blockade on NH 2 which connects Imphal with Nagaland's Dimapur and NH 37 which links Imphal with Assam's Silchar. "Volunteers of the tribal body were seen coming out on the streets at a few places of Kangpokpi district to enforce the blockade and prevent movement of vehicles," an official said. COTU secretary Lamminlun Singsit had on August 17 said, "Highway blockades would be reimposed on NH 2 (Imphal-Dimapur) and NH 37 (Imphal-Silchar) if the supplies of essential commodities to Kuki Zo communities in the hill areas of the state are not ensured". Meanwhile, the Manipur Police had on Sunday said that movement of 163 vehicles with essential items on NH 2 has been ensured. "Strict security measures hav

Look beyond reservation, youth of Northeast competent enough: Meghalaya CM

Young people of the Northeast should change their mindset and look beyond reservation as they are competent enough to compete with anyone in the world, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said. Sangma's statement came over two months after his government appointed an expert committee to review the state's job reservation policy, following demands by different organisations, including the Voice of the People's Party (VPP). "The indigenous community should stop expecting that there will be reservation in all aspects of life. We need to look beyond reservation and the mindset of the youth of the Northeast should be that they are competent enough to compete with anyone in the world," he said. "It is imperative that they have an identity and are proud of it, but they should not take things for granted," he added. Sangma was speaking at a programme organised on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People by the North East Indigenous People's Forum (NEIPF) in Shillong on .

Delhi Police seeks information of Northeast residents to enhance safety

The SPUNER officials also urged people from these regions to share their information for better policing

We work with seva bhaav; oppn 'neglected' NE, was 'credit hungry': PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that his government had worked hard to bring the northeast into the national mainstream and accused the opposition of neglecting the region and being credit hungry. At a series of functions here, Modi claimed that in the last nine years since his government came to power, the definition of connectivity had been changed bringing the northeast nearer to the rest of the country. In what many analysts saw as an energetic early start to next year's general elections, the prime minister made attacking speeches and attended programs and cultural galas, where among other things he inaugurated a slew of medical, railway and other infrastructure projects, besides speaking at the platinum jubilee celebrations of Gauhati High Court here. Modi accompanied by his trusted pointsman for the northeast Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also witnessed a mega-Bihu dance performance where more than 11,000 dancers and drummers performed at the Indi