Chidambaram postpones visit to Mizoram, may visit Tuesday

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram cancelled his one-day visit to Mizoram on Monday but would try to come to this north eastern state Tuesday, official sources said here this evening.

The officials, however, said that Mr. Chidambaram would visit only the capital Aizawl city on Tuesday and cancelled his proposed visit to a number of villages in both Bangladesh and Myanmar border areas including Mizoram-Tripura border Damdiai hamlet where he was scheduled to meet representatives of the Bru community.

The Union Home minister cancelled his proposed visit as the trial landing of the BSF helicopter failed in many places including Borapansury, Lunglawn and Kawmzawl, the officials said.

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Inauguration of Disaster Management Training For SDRF in Mizoram

Monday, May 24, 2010
 
Aizawl: The Disaster Management and Rehabilitation (DM&R) Department today organized the inauguration programme for State Disaster Response Force at CTI (Central Training Institute) Sesawng. Pu Rohmingliana, Secretary DM&R graced the function as Chief Guest.

Speaking at the programme, Pu Rohmingliana said that natural calamities like flood, earthquake, cyclonic storms etc creates havoc in many parts of India and that Mizoram is also vulnerable to this kind of disaster.  He commended the Mizoram government's ability to conduct the first training programme for SRDF's which the Govt. of India established to counteract against possible disaster. He encouraged the trainees to  give their best effort, to be responsive and effective in practical situation.

Ist Battalion NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) Guwahati send selected experts as instructors to train the Ist batch SDRF. Commencing from today the training is expected to be completed by 19th June 2010. The first batch of SDRF's consist of  50 policemen, who have been selected from Ist and IInd Bn. MAP.

Pu V Saptawna, Director DM&R presided over the inauguration programme as chairman. Pu Dominic Lalhmangaiha, State Project Officer, Commandant CP Saxena, Ist Battalion NDRF Guwahati and Lalrengpuia,Commandant CTI delivered short speech. The detailed programme and outline of the course was given in brief by Deputy Commandant Ist Bn. NDRF, Guwahati.

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Aizawl bid to become model capital of NE by 2030

AIZAWL, May 24 – Despite various problems and constraints, Aizawl will become the model capital town of north-eastern region by 2030.

The Aizawl Development Authority (ADA), with the help of IIT, Kharagpur, has outlined the future city structure comprising satellite townships and new industrial growth centres. IIT, Kharagpur, gave a power-point presentation on the draft Aizawl Master Plan-2030 at a seminar organised by ADA yesterday. It was attended by government officials, NGOs, thinkers and prominent citizens.

In the Master Plan for Aizawl: Vision 2030, the IIT, Kharagpur has divided Aizawl into ten planning zones, each of them covering 15.1 sq km with an expected population of 0.7 lakh population by the year 2030.

Out of the total of 15,280 hectares of planning area, 6,108 hectares (40 pc) is proposed for different urban uses, including 2.38 per cent for commercial use and 0.45 for industrial use and the rest 60 per cent (9,172 hectares) for non-urban uses like agriculture, water bodies, etc. Non-urban area includes undevelopable slopped lands.

The Master Plan also suggested that lands with higher gradients be developed into eco-parks to serve as recreational facilities, and open spaces are proposed in the premises to be vacated by the Assam Rifles. A Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and several taxes to stabilize the economic status of the population of Aizawl have also been proposed.

The Draft Master Plan also included several other important issues including system of alternate roads to decongest the city road traffic, a new system of environment-friendly solid waste management, land use plan, transit and transportation plan, public utilities plan, elimination of slums, educational plan and administrative plan.

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Chidambaram To Visit Mizoram

Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram will visit to Mizoram and Assam on Monday to assess the security situation and also inspect the settlement of tribal refugees returning from relief camps.

During his visit, Chidambaram will review the current actions against terrorism in the two northeastern states.

He also visits to Mamit district in the western Mizoram for the inspection of settlement of tribal refugees returning from refugee camps in Tripura. About 1,000 tribal refugees are reported to be repatriated in three batches by May 26, sources said.

"Chidambaram will fly to Mizoram's capital Aizawl Monday morning and then go to Mamit district in western Mizoram for inspection of the settlement of tribal refugees returning from relief camps in Tripura," an official said.

Chidambaram would meet the tribal leaders to discuss about the resettlement of the Reang tribal.

Meanwhile, the Home Minister is also to hold a meet in Aizawl with Governor M.M. Lakhera and Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla along with the top officials to assess the security situation

From Aizawl, Chidambaram visits to Guwahati on Tuesday to meet Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and the top civil and security officials. Sources said that Minister would discuss with the Assam government about the peace talks with ULFA.

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RNRL could get aggressive in exploration

The coming days could see a more aggressive Anil Ambani-led Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) in the oil and gas business.

With the non-compete clause between Mukesh Ambani-led RIL and Anil Ambani group companies ending on Sunday, industry trackers say that RNRL — which is engaged in the business of sourcing, supply and transporting of gas, coal and liquid fuels —could now become more aggressive as an operator in the hydrocarbon exploration business.

Currently, RNRL has four coal-bed methane blocks. The Anil Ambani company has also been awarded an oil and gas block in Mizoram under the sixth round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP). The company has commenced exploration activities in its NELP block.

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Mizoram offers new healthcare scheme

Aizawl, May 22 The Lal Thanhawla government has offered a modified version of healthcare scheme for the people of Mizoram which will be implemented from July 1.

The 8th meeting of the Mizoram State Health Care Society (MSHCS) governing body chaired by Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla at his office today agreed to revive the suspended Mizoram Health Care Scheme by merging it with the centrally-sponsored RSBY (Rashtriya Swasthya Birna Yojana).

Both the MHCS and RSBY will function under one third party administrator and one insurance company.

The RSBY scheme aims at providing health insurance cover to below poverty line of Rs 30,000 floater per family per year.

Under the modified MHCS, a BLP family will pay a premium of Rs 100 to get a health care cover of Rs one lakh floater per family per year.

An Above Poverty Line (APL) family, on the other hand, will pay a premium of Rs 500 for health care cover of Rs one lakh floater per year. However, in critical illnesses, the floater may be extended up to Rs three lakh.

The Chief Minister remains chairman of the Mizoram Health Care Society while the health minister is a co-chairman and chief secretary the vice chairman. Secretary to the health department is made member secretary.

Other members include secretaries to the state government, finance, RD, UD and PA, law and judicial department, director of health services, director of hospital and medical education.

Presidents of influential NGOs are made non-official members.

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Essar bags infrastructure project in Myanmar

Raj Kumar Sahu, May 15, 2010 (New Delhi)

The Ruias-controlled Essar Group’s business is racing on a highway. And it is an international highway this time quite literally as it signs a deal to construct roads in Myanmar.

“Essar is going to construct this project between Sitway in Myanmar and places in North Eastern States like Mizoram. It is going to be big boost for both the countries,” said T S Tirumurti, joint secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs.

“It has been done in a transparent manner and the project will be completed in three years and the countdown begins from today,’ said Pradeep Kumar, Member (Finance) at Inland Water Authority.

The Essar Group has recently expanded overseas especially in the energy sector and now even for the jetties and port sector.

“In Mayanmar we are already present in the oil and gas exploration business for last three years. We are also constructing a 260 kilometres pipeline in Madagascar and for the port and jetties business we are going to revamp the whole business and spreading our wings in other markets,” said V K Bhat, VP, Operations (Ports & Jetties).

From acquiring oil and gas assets including refineries in Africa and Europe to buying coal mines in the Americas and from raising funds in UK to bagging these projects in countries like Myanmar in Asia, Essar's focus is clearly on the overseas market. And with volatility in all the sectors and in all the markets, Essar's diversification plan looks like to lower the risk.


Read more at: http://beta.profit.ndtv.com/news/show/essar-bags-infrastructure-project-in-myanmar-45012?cp

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