Centre’s transport sops for paramilitary troopers, soldiers

Agartala, July 30: The Union Home Ministry has launched a free aircraft service to ferry the central paramilitary troopers and soldiers to Kolkata from different northeastern States, a senior official said here today.
“The Central paramilitary troopers posted in different parts of the northeastern States would be able to go up to Kolkata by this aircraft from the capital cities of seven northeastern States,” a Tripura Government official told IANS.
“The journey by this aircraft from the capital cities of northeastern States to Kolkata would be free of cost,” the official said adding that the new system was launched last week. According to the official, the flight would operate six days in a week.
A large number of central paramilitary force (CPMF) personnel belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Assam Rifles, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Security Guard (NSG), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Commando Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA) have been posted in different parts of northeast India.
“These CPMF personnel belong to different places and States across the country. Due to transport problems, these jawans have to sacrifice many days in transit to go to their homes or any destinations during leave period or any official postings,” the official said.
“Army soldiers are also entitled to use this facility. Considering the transport difficulties, the centre has introduced the new system exclusively for the CPMF troopers and army soldiers. From Kolkata they may go to their destinations by train or any other mode of transportation,” the official said. (IANS)

Tohanba highlights issues, activities of AIR, DDK to Nagaland CM

Kohima, July 30: Parliamentary Secretary IPR, Eco and Statistics R Tohanba accompanied by Commissioner and Secretary MK Mero, ADG Field Publicity Ministry of I&B A Lassa, Director IPR, Imokokba and other officials of IPR called on Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in his official residence yesterday and highlighted the various activities and issues of AIR and DDK, Kohima concerning the State.
Tohanba informed the Chief Minister about the recently held Regional conference of I&B Ministry at Guwahati where the state of Nagaland represented by Parliamentary Secretary IPR, Commissioner & Secretary IPR, Dy Director IPR Tokishe Sema and ADG Field Publicity highlighted the problems faced by AIR and DDK in Nagaland to the Minister of I&B Ambika Soni. Tohanba also highlighted his meeting with Ambika Soni in Delhi recently, where he along with the Commissioner and Secretary IPR apprised all the related problems including uplinking facilities in DDK Kohima FM networking stations AIR and issues pertaining to IPR to the Minister I&B. He informed that DTH Receive systems which include Dish Receive systems &TV shall be distributed to all NE States for which the ministry has allocated Rs 20 crore. Further, broad band internet connectivity will be provided to IPR departments of the NE States.
Highlighting on the steps taken for improvement in the State, ADG, Field Publicity informed the Chief Minister that scheme to upgrade satellite earth stations at Kohima to (2+1) system has been approved and its implementation taken up. The officials also apprised the CM with regard to acute shortage of manpower due to the non filling up of vacancies and requested him to take up the matter to the Minister I&B.
After giving a patient hearing, Rio told the officials that all the grievances faced should be sent through the State Government. “Collect all the problems, divide it into short term and long term measures and whatever can be done from your side do it, and whatever cannot be done from your level, write to the Government, so that we can take up the matter,” Rio advised. With regard to deficit manpower, Rio opined that recruitment ought to be done in the state, where interested youths can be roped in and given training.
On the issue of additional space for extension of AIR Kohima, the CM asked the officials to apply to the Government in written officially, so that the matter could be looked into. Informing that the Minister of I&B is likely to visit Nagaland, Rio assured the officials that he would discuss the issued aired to him. (Agencies)

26,499 disabled persons living in Nagaland

KOHIMA, July 30: According to Nagaland’s 2001 census, there are 26,499 people with disability in the State. This includes 9,968 people with visual disability, 4,398 people with speech disability, 5,245 people with hearing disability, 4258 people with locomotor disability and 2,630 people with mental disability. Despite the high number of people living with different kinds of disabilities in the State, very few have been physically identified. Most disabled people continue to live in seclusion.
A meeting was held in Dimapur recently to discuss issues relating to disability in Nagaland. Organized by the Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), Nagaland unit, and assisted by Prodigals’ Home, the meeting focused on laws, rights and privileges of disabled persons. The meeting raised some very serious issues pertaining to Nagaland, where disabled persons still live in deprivation; unaware of fundamental rights and the extent of the government’s role in providing these rights to disabled persons.
In a presentation on the current status of disability in Nagaland, K Ela, Director of Prodigals’ Home, pointed out that not much importance has been given to the issue of disability. Ela said that there are very little benefits for disabled people and the state does not have an independent Disability Commissioner- like it exists in all other States. She added that the government has not paid much importance in implementing the United National Convention on Rights of persons with Disabilities.
The government has not been able to identify the exact number of disabled persons in the State either. For this very reason, Ela said that NGOs are working closely with the department of Census to bring out the correct number of people with disability in the State.
Apart from Kohima and Dimapur, very few non-government organizations have taken up the issue of disability, Ela lamented further. She said that of the 871 disabled persons identified by five NGOs in Dimapur district, not a single person is employed with the government or other private establishment. Ela said this is a serious lapse and must be addressed. “If the condition is like this in Dimapur…the picture is clear in the other districts,” she said. Ela highlighted the need for the government to implement the 3 per cent reservation for disabled persons in poverty alleviation schemes.
Ela further added that on feedbacks received from the few disabled persons supplied with aid, most complained that the equipment of inferior quality. The Centre has provided grants for procurement of equipment and aids for 2009-10 (Rs 4 lakh for each district and Rs 9 lakh for Tuensang district).
But it is not known how the money is being utilised. The disability issue is also faced with the issue of stigma and discrimination.
There is little awareness and only parents’ whose children are disabled are open about speaking on the issue, Ela said.
She called for wider participation of the society and the government in spreading awareness on the issue. The meeting was attended by members of different NGOs from across the State working with disabled persons and HRLN. (Agencies)

Financial inclusion a social obligation for PSU banks: Rio

Kohima, July 30: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today called upon public sector banks to fulfil their social obligations by expanding their activities in the State to achieve the Centre’s goal of banking or financial inclusion.
Speaking at a function here, the chief minister said the stated goal of financial inclusion put a challenge as well as an opportunity before the PSU banks to extend their services to the unbanked blocks in the State.
Rio regretted that except the SBI which have branches in all the districts, all other banks mostly confined their business at Kohima and Dimapur towns. He suggested that if it was not possible for the banks to open branches in remote places they should embark on alternative options such as banking correspondences and financial intermediaries to achieve financial inclusion, adding that village development boards (VDB) could be roped in to play the role of banking intermediaries in Nagaland.
The chief minister also suggested the banks, particularly the SBI, to undertake banking literacy programme in the state where the people have been conditioned to only grants, assistance or subsidies, a culture which has ultimately deprived many young people from venturing into bank loans other services.
Rio, who was speaking on the occasion of inauguration of new premises of a SBI branch here, regretted that against the national average of credit-deposit (CD) ratio of over 70, the ratio in Nagaland was only 36 in November 2009 which again came down to 31 in March 2010. (PTI)

List of Bru refugees in Tripura camps to be handed over

Aizawl, July 30: The final compilation of the population survey of Bru refugees in six relief camps in Tripura would be handed over by the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum (MBDPF) to the State Officer on Special Duty now at the relief camps, Mizoram Home Secretary Lalmalsawma said yesterday. The compilation of the Bru refugee head count was completed yesterday according to which there were 27,261 Bru refugees in the camps. Lalmalsawma refused to comment on whether the findings of the Bru leaders on the number of the refugees tallied with government records.
“We have to undertake identification of those who were bonafide residents of Mizoram by checking the ration cards and enrolment in the State voters’ lists,” Lalmalsawma said. The survey was part of the preparatory exercise for repatriation of the Bru refugees, he said.
While saying that the State Government was yet to fix the time for the repatriation process, he said that the monsoon in the State should be over before it began. MBDPF President Elvis Chorkhy said that the refugees numbered 26,102 including 5,090 minors belonging to 5,180 families. These refugees had fled Mizoram following communal tension triggered by the killing of Lalzawmliana, a forest guard inside Dampa Tiger Reserve in October 1997 by militants belonging to the erstwhile Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF).
He said that those who subsequently left Mizoram in November 2009 numbered 1,159 people including 242 minors belonging to 241 families. These people had fled Mizoram after the killing of a youth Zarzokima by Bru militants on November 13 at Bungthuam village, three days before the proposed repatriation schedule for the earlier refugees, were to begin.
Around 240 families who fled Mizoram in November 2009 had returned home on May 21, 24 and 26 this year. “We did not include refugees coming to Tripura from Assam,” Chorkhy said or a headcount of former Bru militants who surrendered to the Mizoram authorities as their cases were taken up separately by the representatives of the surrendered militants.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, who visited Aizawl on May 25 told the Bru leaders to ensure that all the refugees returned to Mizoram before the end of October this year and also informed them that he would visit Mizoram again to oversee the repatriation process. (PTI)

More tourists visit to Sikkim

Gangtok, July 30: Sikkim has recorded a rise in the number of tourists - domestic and international - who visited the State till June this year. The state Tourism Department’s statistical record on arrival of domestic tourists for the month of January shows that 40,160 fellow countrymen vacationed in Sikkim in January 2010 as compared to 30,395 in January 2009.
Similarly, in February this year, Sikkim received 48,420 domestic tourists, 12,537 more than February 2009. On the other hand, the arrival of international tourists has also seen a positive inflow thus far this year. January and February 2009 recorded 696 and 1,053 international tourist arrivals respectively. 2008’s numbers for these two months were 910 and 1,106 respectively.
In January this year number of the foreign tourists, who visited the State was 984, in February it was 1,320, March it was 2,605, 3,036 during April it was 3,036 in May 1,593 and in June it was 830, the data revealed.
The State is legendary for its peaceful nature and simplicity. Famous for Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world at 8,586 m, the mountain State of Sikkim offers tremendous variety of plant and wildlife besides a diverse ethnic mix of people with rich cultural tradition.
Travel and Tourism in Sikkim gained popularity during the last decade with increasing number of tourists visiting this hilly region for its natural beauty. One of the smallest States in India, Sikkimese life is centered on Gangtok, the capital. Rising 300 m above the Indian plains, Sikkim borders the edge of the Tibetan Plateau on its north and Nepal on its east. Although it was historically a Buddhist kingdom, the Hindus currently represent the majority. Sikkim has close links with Tibet and it’s the home of over 250 monasteries of mostly the Nyingma-pa sect.Sikkim Tourism
Sikkim is rich with wide variety of flora and fauna. About 450 varieties of orchids, over 600 species of butterflies, 500 species of birds along with red pandas, snow leopards and other animals can be seen in Sikkim. The largest collection can be seen at the Kanchenjunga National Park which covers an area of 850 square kilometers. As a result ornithology tourism is also gaining in prominence in Sikkim.
To really see this himalayan State, it is necessary to leave the hamlets and travel to the remote areas. It is impossible not to be awed by Sikkim’s sharp, lush hills, leaping waterfalls, thundering rivers, and placid lakes. The people, sculpted by lives of low-tech farming and mountainous travel, have behind them generations of communal intermixing. Sikkim is divided into four districts - in south district, the main attraction is Ravangla. The east district is where capital Gangtok is situated. West District offers destinations such as Pelling and Yuksom as well as beautiful treks such as the one to Dzongri. The north district bordering China has been recently opened to tourists. The most common destination here is Yumthang. (Agencies)