Permit check in Mizoram

Silchar Oct. 29: The Mizoram home department has ordered the state police to immediately launch a full-fledged drive to detect non-domiciled people who are now staying in the state without valid inner line permits.

Indian citizens who are not domiciled in Mizoram and have no houses of their own in the state are required to obtain permits for their stay for a specified period in Mizoram either for a job or business.

Home minister Lalzirliana said in Aizawl yesterday that Indian citizens who are not permanent residents of Mizoram would be required to obtain inner-line regulation passes while entering the state.

Lalzirliana said a drive conducted this year has so far identified 7,812 people from outside Mizoram staying in the state without any inner-line permit. It was found that 6,673 people were overstaying with lapsed permits, he said.

The sources in the home department in Aizawl suspect that many among them are Bangladeshis who have sneaked into Mizoram either from Cachar or Karimganj districts of Assam to eke out a livelihood.

Lalzirliana said the drive against persons staying illegally would be stepped up in the coming months.

Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (Mizoram Unit) Gives Its Report On IInd Triennial Conference

Shri Tamlal Lohar (centre) President, BGP Mizoram Unit with fellow members after the meeting.

GT Report: Ramesh Khati

BGP President Mizoram Unit addressing the members.

Aizawl 28 Oct 2009(GT): BGP Mizoram Unit held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss and analyse the report presented by Mr Gunu Gharti, who represented Mizoram in recently concluded IInd Triennial Conference at, Mangal Maiti Conference Hall, Siliguri.

During this meet various ways were discussed, as to how Gorkhas in Mizoram can regroup themselves and be a force to reckon with for the upliftment of Parisangh  and  Gorkha society as a whole .

Mizoram unit also pledged to  show more active participation in future and make IIIrd Triennial Conference in Sikkim (2012) a huge success for the Gorkha cause.

The meet concluded at 8.30 pm with dinner which was hosted by Gunu Gharti at his residence.

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Two Sr-officials of pvt firm given 3 years RI for fraud

New Delhi: Two senior officials of a Gurgaon-based firm were sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each by a special CBI court in Ambala for cheating the state administration.

"The ACJM, CBI Cases, Ambala convicted the accused Ramesh Kumar Khurana and Som Nath Virmani, Directors of Kashi Ram Madan Lal (Private) Ltd, Gurgaon and sentenced them to undergo three years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 for causing loss of Rs 61 lakh to state excise department," a CBI spokesperson said here today.

The CBI investigation revealed that the two accused persons, during the period from July 1982 to January 1983, entered into a criminal conspiracy at Haryana and Mizoram, with the intention to cheat the Haryana government.

"Accordingly, they forged 37 import permits of Indian made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) purported to have been issued by the Excise Authorities of Government of Mizoram at Lungalai and Saiha (Mizoram) and utilised these forged import permits for getting delivery of IMFL for Kashi Ram Madan Lal Enterprises (P) Ltd, Gurgaon, Haryana. Hence, they caused a loss of Rs 61 lakh to state excise department," the official said.

The accused persons further utilised 10 forged Central Sales Tax-C (CST-C) Certificates illegally for claiming the benefits of Central Sales Tax.

"The court found both the accused persons guilty and convicted them," the spokesperson added.

Indians trapped in western syndrome: Mizoram Governor

AIZAWL, Oct 29: Mizoram Governor M M Lakhera today said Indians are still trapped in the syndrome of westernisation.

Speaking after inaugurating the science exhibition for children, organized by the Science Promotion Wing in association with the NCERT here, he said India was a pioneer country in different branches of science such as medicine, mathematics and astronomy in the olden days.

“British rule and westernisation changed the mindset of the people and even after 60 years of independence we have not been able to come out of that syndrome,” he added.

Explaining how science affects every facet of human life, the Governor urged the students to develop their ability to analyse problems logically and learn to apply their knowledge to practical use.

The 30th State-level science exhibition for children was organized in Aizawl district this year after a gap of seven years. It is a part of the “Jawaharlal Nehru National Science Exhibition” to be organized by NCERT in New Delhi in November 2010.

Blockade hits NH44 traffic

Silchar, Oct. 27 : Traffic came to a halt on the Karimganj-Cachar stretch of National Highway 44 and vehicles were stranded since 8 this morning following a 36-hour road blockade imposed by protesters seeking repair of the road.

Police said vehicles had stopped plying on the highway and a large number were stranded at Katigorah, on the Meghalaya-Cachar border.

An official said the police were present in the area but wanted to avoid any confrontation with the sponsors of the blockade. “We’ll prevail over them amicably to withdraw the blockade,” he added.

The protesters, under the banner of United NH44 Development Committee, had announced the blockade on Saturday exasperated by the Centre’s indifference towards providing funds for maintenance of the highway.

The NH44 is the only highway that links south Assam, Mizoram and Tripura through Meghalaya and lower Assam. The blockade, the first of its kind on this road, has raised fears of a shutdown of the crucial highway that serves the three states.

The stretch of the highway between Churaibari on the Assam-Tripura boundary and Malidahar on the Assam-Meghalaya boundary in Cachar district is littered with craters and potholes and accidents are common.

Repairs on the highway started to suffer since September last year when the 42 Border Road Task Force, under the Union transport and national highways ministry, stopped supervising the road following a funds crunch.

In July, the Centre brought the 111km stretch of the highway that runs through Karimganj and Cachar districts of Assam under the ambit of the PWD but the cash-strapped Dispur sent the maintenance ball back to the Centre’s court.

Senior officials of the state PWD (national highway division) said an estimate of Rs 41 crore had been sent to the Centre for the makeover of the highway.

When Sontosh Mohan Dev, the Congress leader from Assam and a former MP from Cachar, was the Union minister for heavy industries, he had lobbied for the makeover and arranged for Rs 46 crore.

However, with no indication of the amount being granted, Goutam Roy, the state minister for border areas development and excise, met Kamal Nath, Union minister for national highways, in Delhi on Thursday, seeking speedy sanction of the funds. Nath assured Roy that funds would not be a constraint.

Cachar deputy commissioner Goutam Ganguli convened a meeting of officials and public representatives here recently to put pressure on the PWD to expedite repairs on the highway.

Pranab Sinha, the executive engineer of PWD (national highway), said an initial fund of Rs 15.63 crore had been sanctioned and repairs would soon begin.

Bru repatriation preparations almost complete: Minister

Aizawl, Oct 26 (PTI) Preparations for repatriation of Bru refugees, from six relief camps in neighbouring North Tripura district, are almost complete, Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana informed the state legislature today.

Replying to a question from Lalrobiaka of the ruling Congress, Lalzirliana said that the road map for repatriation process had been submitted to the Union Home Ministry in which proposals for resettlement of the Brus, construction of health centres and educational institutions and others were included.

"We hope that the preparation can soon be concluded after centre provides financial assistance for the proposed expenditure of Rs 25.86 crore for implementation of the repatriation road map," he said.

He said that the Brus, once repatriated would be settled in different districts where they were living before migrating to Tripura during the last part of 1997 and that they should not be concentrated in one assembly constituency.

278 gm heroin seized, 2 held in Mizoram

Aizawl, Oct 21 : Two youths were arrested and heroin worth Rs 20 lakh in the international market recovered from their possession here, police said today.

The men were arrested last night from Chaltlang area and 278 gram heroin were seized from them, they said.

The state excise department had on Monday also seized 22 gram heroin and 970 gram ephedrine from Chhinga Veng locality here and arrested two persons, including a Myanmarese national, in this connection.

Mizoram Govt proposes Pay Hike

Aizawl, Oct. 21 : The Mizoram government today said it was considering implementing the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission for its employees.

Chief minister Lalthan-hawla, who also holds the finance portfolio, told the Assembly that the cabinet would look into the recommendations.

"We want to implement the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, but our financial condition does not permit us to do it immediately," he said, adding that the additional expenditure arising out of the hiked pay for the government employees would be a huge burden on the state exchequer.

BSF on an anti-infiltration drive along Indo-Bangla border

Shillong: In an ongoing anti-infiltration drive, the BSF has seized 67 cattles, motorcycle, country-made boats and some contraband items from the Indo-Bangla border.

Items worth Rs 11 lakh were seized recently when they were being smuggled out to Bangladesh from different areas along the riverine areas of Dhubri in Assam and hilly terrain of Meghalaya, BSF sources said today.

In another incident, a BSF border outpost camped at Muktapur in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills district on the Indo- Bangladesh border had apprehended two Bangladeshi nationals on Sunday after they had intruded into India.

Bangladeshi currency worth 50,000 Taka, Rs 2,900 in Indian currency and a mobile phone was seized from them, the sources said.

In another case, the BSF jawans yesterday seized 197 kgs of hemp (Ganja) worth Rs 9.85,000 from Mayachar in Assam's Dhubri District and handed it over to the Custom Department for disposal, the sources added.

Mizoram CM to present annual budget on Oct 15

Aizawl, Oct 9 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, also holding finance portfolio, would present the annual budget on October 15, the first day of the assembly session, secretariat sources said here today.

Lal Thanhawla had earlier presented an interim budget in March last as the Planning Commission was yet to allocate the state annual plan outlay at that time.

He was compelled to seek two vote-on-accounts due to late finalisation of the state annual plan.

The session would continue till October 26.

Mizoram BJP submits memorandum to Prez

Aizawl | October 5 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to get withdrawn the Section 80 P (4) of Income Tax Act Exemption of Co-Operative Banks from Payment of Income Tax (IT) in Mizoram.

In this connection leaders of the Mizoram unit of BJP along with the party’s Northeast co-ordinator Jeena Potsangbam called upon Mizoram Governor Lt. Gen (Rtd) MM Lakhera at Raj Bhawan and submitted a memorandum to the president Pratibha Patil.

The BJP memorandum to the President of India mentioned that by imposing such a tax on co-operative organisations, the growth of reserves of the banks is stopped.

“Depriving the sector of the cover of Sec. 80 P of Income Tax Act 1961 is a measure likely to cause a huge damage to a sector which is admired as “peoples’ movement of this country,” it said.

The BJP memorandum also says that Section 80 (4) takes away almost one third of the pre-provisioning profit as tax impairs the strengthening process of co-operative banks endangering the sector and the depositors’ interest.

President of Mizoram unit of BJP Khawvelthanga, Co-ordinator i/c NE states BJP co-operative Cell, Jeena Postsangbam were V.L. Rai (Convener, Co-operative Cell BJP Mizoram Pradesh), Laltlanmawii (Member , co-operative cell), Kamla Guriung (Treasurer, Co-operative Cell), Vanlalhruaii (Secretary,Co-operative Cell), K.Lalchhanhima (General Secy. BJP Mizoram Pradesh) and C.Hmingthansanga (treasurer, BJP Mizoram Pradesh) are the signatories of the memorandum.

Over 15,000 children in Mizoram deprived of schooling

About 15,000 children in Mizoram, aged six to fourteen, are deprived of schooling even though the northeastern State is India’s second most literate after Kerala, an official report said.

“After finding that about 15,000 children, mostly tribals, are deprived of formal education, the State’s mission of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) sent education volunteers as mobile teachers in the interior villages,” a report of the Mizoram education department said.

The mobile teachers would persuade the children and their parents to enrol themselves in government schools.

According to the report, the children deprived of education were mainly concentrated in Lunglei, Lawngtlai and Saiha districts of southern Mizoram and Mamit district in the east, adjacent to Tripura.

Of the 15,000 illiterate children, 40 per cent were school dropouts and the remaining had never been enrolled in schools. In Mizoram, 88.80 per cent of the 9,00,000 people are literate.

“The main reasons for staying away from educational institutions were poverty, child labour, absence of schools in their and adjacent villages and parents’ ignorance,” the report added.

It said: “Majority of the children who are not attending schools belong to Chakma and Reang (communities) as the two communities are primitive and nomadic tribes and practise ‘Jhum cultivation’ (shifting or slash and burn cultivation).”

“It is hard to bring tribal children to schools due to their shifting from one village to another frequently,” the report added.

In the mountainous state of Mizoram, education was first initiated and popularised by the British. Missionaries were responsible for the growth and institutionalisation of education in the State, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh. The first educational institution in Mizoram was initiated by missionaries in the Aizawl region in 1897. Later, three more government primary schools opened in Aizawl in 1898.

Mizoram Congress Party to ensure 100 PC success in Dev programme

Aizawl, Oct 1 : The Lal Thanhawla-led Congress government in Mizoram has taken every measure to ensure 100 per cent success rate in its flagship programme New Land Use Policy (NLUP). According to a UNI report, one of the salient features of the NLUP Manual, approved by the state government recently, is a penalty against misutilisation of its funds on the part of the beneficiaries.

“Any beneficiary found misappropriating the funds will have to repay the entire amount with five per cent interest.

The Public Demand Recovery Act 2001 will be enforced to deal with the defaulters. Besides, the defaulting beneficiary will be barred from all other development schemes from the government in the future,’’ an official in the NLUP apex board said.

The NLUP, a scheme to eradicate the destructive and unproductive shifting cultivation in Mizoram, had failed to achieve its goal during the previous Congress government of two consecutive terms till 1998 mainly because of misutilisation of the funds on the part of the beneficiaries.

“This time, the government has taken every possible measure to ensure a cent per cent success,’’ the official said.

A bonafide citizen of India, depending on shifting cultivation or who does not have permanent occupation and had been running an independent household at least for one year was entitled to get the NLUP fund amounting to Rs 1 lakh per family or more than that depending on the activity selected.

Those with permanent occupations- government employees, full-time mission(Church) workers, employees under companies or public/private sectors, businessmen, suppliers, contractors and those having permanent wet rice cultivation or other plantations who employ workers are not entitled to the scheme.

The government is planning to cover the entire state within the next ten years. The amount may exceed Rs 1 lakh depending on the trade or activity will be paid in installments.

“The utilisation of the money will be closely monitored. If a beneficiary fails to utilise the first installment, he or she will be barred from the next installment,’’ the official said.

The NLUP apex board has identified trades/activities to be covered by the scheme in the various line departments. Assistance under the NLUP for all the trades/activities is limited to three years while some activities will be assisted for only two years.

Those trades/activities which have a gestation period is longer than three years may be further assisted under the central scheme such as NREGS and others.

The Congress partys major poll plank before the 2008 state Assembly elections, the NLUP basically aims to do away with the shifting cultivation on which about 70 per cent of the agrarian farmers still depend.