Sivasagar DC Virendra Mittal becomes 'Coolest Northeasterner, 2015'

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

SIVASAGAR, February 9: The district of Sivasagar has once again made headlines. This time it happens to be Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Virendra Mittal who got a slot in the list of Coolest Northeasterner, 2015 in The Thump Print, a popular magazine from the East.

The fil list of the Coolest Northeasterner, 2015 was adjudged by a panel of eminent judges which include Rakhshanda Jalil , well known Indian writer, critic and literary historian, Kishalay Bhattacharjee, senior jourlist and author, executive director Reachout Foundation, Prer Singh Bindra, conservationist and writer, Hussi Thokchom Salam, Guwahati-based entrepreneur and a member of FLO, the ladies wing of FICCI,  V Jarpum Gamlim, publisher of Eastern Sentinel, Aruchal Pradesh and  Monideepa Choudhury, a development professiol and an independent jourlist and editor.

Virendra Mittal, Deputy Commissioner of Sivasagar district, has been selected as one of the Coolest Northeasterners of 2015 by this esteemed magazine which launched a survey from the valleys of Manipur to the chilly Chicago streets.

According to the survey conducted by the magazine, Mittal is known as ‘Swachata Doot’ and he is working relentlessly to make Sivasagar district open-defecation free. This IAS officer is unlike a typical ‘governemnt babu’, is known for his out-of-the-box ideas and knows that he owes his power to the community.

The others who made it to Thumb Print magazine’s list of Coolest Northeasterner 2015 are Bijoy Gogoi, a veteririan who recently saved a leopard’s life without caring for his own, Sunita Bhuyan, a violinist of the Hindustani style and the brand ambassador of South Asian women’s Fund and the icon for the Election Commission, India, Nisha Bora who has a unique, innovative venture – Elrhino Paper, Thingm Girija,  a flower enthusiast from Manipur who was awarded Young Achiever Award 2010 by the North-East Centre for Environmental Education and Research, Imphal, for her contribution towards the promotion of biodiversity and environment of the country, Roopa Sharma, Vice President of AA (Assam Association of North America) from 2011-2013, president of ASS (Asom Sahitya Sabha of North America) 2013-2015, who had edited and published the annual magazine Luitor Pora Mississippi – the annual mouthpiece of AA, Cham Urmila, who is working to create awareness around issues of menstruation and hygiene, Kismat Bano, a promising theatre artiste and director from Assam who has acted in over 15 plays in different languages including Assamese and Hindi, RJ Mandy, a radio jockey with Red FM, Guwahati who was awarded a certificate in recognition of participating in UNICEF–AROI (Association of Radio Operators for India) Radio4Child Award on Immunization in Mumbai, and Moli Bharadwaj, mascot in Guwahati and Mumbai Pinkathon who was diagnosed with cancer in September, 2014 and took chemotherapy from November, 2014 along with radiation, medication and counseling till February, 2015.