Thursday, June 28, 2012

SP Deshpande's transfer rakes up controversy anew

PANAJI: The controversy over transfers of Indian police service (IPS) officers from Goa has not ended. On Wednesday the Union home ministry issued a transfer order relieving special branch SP Atmaram Deshpande and transferring him to Mizoram.

Home department sources said the state government received a fax late Wednesday evening from the Union home ministry stating, "SP Deshpande stands relieved and he should immediately report to Mizoram police." This could lead to a clash as the state is reluctant to let Deshpande go. "Even if the Union home ministry has unilaterally relieved Deshpande, the state government will not relieve him," home department sources said.

Chief minister Manohar Parrikar is in Delhi to attend a meeting and could take up the issue there. "Chief minister is likely to meet the Union home minister or officials of the home ministry to discuss the transfers of IPS officers," sources said.

Deshpande, a Goa police service officer, had been promoted to the IPS last November and been allocated to the Goa segment of the joint AGMU cadre. He was then issued transfer orders and posted to Mizoram. On his request that he be retained in Goa for another year due to personal problems, the state had, in turn, appealed to the Union home ministry to extend Deshpande's services in the state for a year but this had been rejected.

Goa has been sanctioned 10 IPS officers. This includes one director general of police (DGP), one inspector general of police (IGP), two deputy inspectors of police (DIGs) and six superintendents of police (SPs). After DIG Ravindra Yadav was transferred recently, both DIG posts have remained vacant. From P 1

Last month, Parrikar had taken on the Union home ministry stating that IPS officers will not be given any posting in the state after the Centre relieved Yadav without consulting the state government.

Parrikar had also instructed chief secretary Sanjay Srivastava not to give charge to any IPS officer the Centre posted to Goa and advised him to prepare grounds to form a separate IPS cadre for Goa. In the recent reshuffling of SPs, IPS officer SP OP Mishra was allotted a posting.

Parrikar had also refused to allot a government bungalow to an IPS officer who has been transferred to Goa without state government consent.

Oppn Mizo National Front to support Sangma

Aizawl, Jun 29 : Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram will support Purno Agitok Sangma in the Presidential election on July 19, party sources said today.

The Core Committee and Political Affairs Committee of the MNF took the decision last night.

MNF urged all MPs and MLAs in the north eastern region to support Sangma and appealed to all the scheduled tribe and Christian legislators in the country to vote for him.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Mizoram co-operative society moving ahead

Aizawl, June 26 : Mizoram Co-operative Society minister J.H. Rothuama said co-operation, by its very name itself, indicates unity and working together. “When we work together, we can do such great things which are impossible for an individual and a single family themselves. Therefore, Co-operative Society has been an important agent which often betters the economic condition in developed countries. Besides, the monetary assistance that we get from the government, creating opportunity for others with self-dependency shall always be our main objective,” the minister said.

J.H Rothuama was saying this while gracing the 25th General Assembly of the Mizoram State Co-operative Union (MSCU) as chief guest of the occasion which was held at Archives Hall, Babu Tlang, Aizawl.

The minister released the special issue of Co-operative Magazine ‘Tlangau’ during the celebration.
The minister then said that that there is the need to provide more instructions to the societies under MSCU regarding financial management. “A large number of cultivators in Mizoram, despite of their perseverance and hard work, lack the knowledge of good strategy so as to yield good result. Therefore, to give them guidelines is the responsibility of the cooperative societies”, the minister said. The Mizoram government is also taking steps in the same line, and also, as promised before the assembly election, steps are being taken for setting up of Co-operative Development Council, he added.

Mizoram house budget session to begin from July 16

Aizawl, June 26 : Budget session of the Mizoram Assembly, to commence from July 16, would continue till August two, assembly Secretary Ngurthanzuala said here today. Making public the decision of today's meeting of the Business Advisory Committee, chaired by Speaker R Romawia, Ngurthanzuala said that the annual budget for the current fiscal would be presented on the first day of the session by the Finance Minister H. Liansailova. The regular budget could not be presented during the budget session in March last by Liansailova as the Planning Commission was yet to allocate the annual plan outlay then and was compelled to seek a vote-on-account for the first four months of the fiscal. The session would be adjourned for July 19 as the voting for the Presidential elections would be held on that day in the premises of the legislature.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Mizo govt rejects resignation

Silchar, June 23 : The Mizoram government has rejected its principal legal adviser P. Chakravarty’s resignation from his post.

The media secretary, L.R. Sailo, confirmed over telephone this evening that the government had issued official instruction to Chakravarty to rejoin his post.

He resigned from his job on Wednesday after the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) staged a demonstration in front of his office in Aizwal, against his re-appointment to the post of principal legal adviser to the Congress government for the fourth time.

Chakravarty had retired as law secretary to the Mizoram government in 2011 following which the government appointed him as the state’s first-ever principal legal adviser in the same year.

In November 2011, he was given a six-month extension as the principal legal official. The state government awarded him his third extension in April for a month.

Asked whether he would join the post, Chakravarty said, “I am yet to decide.”

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Mizo govt official says he will not accept extension

Aizawl, Jun 21 : Mizoram government's Principal Legal Adviser P Chakraborty, who was given re-employment for six months after retirement, today gave a written representation that he would not accept extension of his service.

Chakraborty wrote his letter to Personnel and Administrative Reforms Minister following heated arguments in his office with Mizo Zirlai Pawl leaders after the student organisation urged him to relinquish his post.

The MZP leaders objected the extension of service or re-employment of government officials after retirement as this obstructed young educated people from joining government services.

Police officials and Law department officials were present in Chakraborty's office at that time.

Monday, June 18, 2012

EC appoints officers for Presidential polls

Aizawl: Election Commission of India appointed Ngurthanzuala and Vanlalnghenga, secretary and additional secretary respectively of the Mizoram Assembly as assistant returning officers for the Presidential polls to be held on July 19.

An official statement said that two officials in all the states and union territories were appointed as assistant returning officers by the Election Commission. Mizoram assembly has 40 members out of which 32 legislators belonged to the ruling Congress party.

The main opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) has three MLAs and its partner Mara Democratic Front has one legislator while both the Mizoram People's Conference and the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) have two legislators each.

Mizoram, also has two members of parliament - one each for Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The Lok Sabha member C. L. Ruala is a Congressman while the Rajya Sabha MP Lalhming LIana belonged to the opposition MNF.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Mizoram told to revise land acquisition rate

Worried by the high rate of land acquisition for border fencing in Mizoram fixed by the district collectors/deputy commissioners, the Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed the Mizoram government to revise the rate.

Chief secretary Vanhela Pachuau convened a meeting of all the deputy commissioners of all the districts and informed them about the ministry's instructions.

He said the land acquisition rate in Mizoram is higher than any other state in India.

The chief secretary told the district collectors to fix land acquisition rates as per standard norms and not to try to make money out of compensation packages.

Disclosing that CBI is probing into a compensation scam in Mizoram, the chief secretary warned that unless irregularities in the land assessment are stopped, a CBI investigation would be inevitable.

MPL boost to Mizoram football

Guwahati, June 15 : The Mizoram Football Association has struck a Rs 1.25-crore five-year deal with the state’s leading cable television channel Zonet Cable TV Pvt Ltd to launch the Mizoram Premier League.

Undisputedly the biggest sponsorship deal in Mizoram sports, the funds will be released in five equal instalments of Rs 25 lakh each year with the launch of the MPL tentatively in September.

The deal was signed between MFA president Lal Thanzara and Zonet Cable TV Pvt. Ltd director R.K. Lianzuala yesterday.

“We have signed an agreement with Zonet Cable TV Pvt. Ltd for five years to promote football. This will lead to wider reach of football in Mizoram,” Thanzara said.

The agreement grants Zonet Cable TV Pvt. Ltd all commercial rights to the MPL, including sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, film, video and franchising.

Lianzuala said Zonet and the MFA will work together to develop football. The MPL is slated to commence as soon as the proposed floodlights are installed at the Assam Rifles Ground in Aizawl.

The tournament will comprise 56 matches, involving eight of the state’s best teams.

“We hope Mizoram football will scale newer heights with effective marketing and development at the grassroots level,” said MFA secretary Lalnghinglova Hmar, adding that it would be mandatory for teams, which qualify for the Mizoram Premier League, to have junior and sub-junior teams.

The MPL is tipped to be one of the few tournaments in the region which will attract players from across the region to don the Mizoram clubs’ colours. The tournament is also expected to lay the foundation for few more professional clubs from the state, apart from Aizawl FC, for the I-League.

Green Mizoram Day launched

Aizawl: Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla today launched the 'Green Mizoram Day 2012' by planting a tree sapling inside the headquarters of the 23 sector Assam Rifles at Khatla locality here.

The state government proposed to plant more than 2.86 lakh tree saplings this year and more than 20 lakh saplings have been planted since 1998 when the 'Green Mizoram Day' was first launched till date.

The Day was also observed at the new headquarters of the 26th battalion of Assam Rifles at Zokhawsang near Aizawl where Urban Development Minister Zodintluanga, Commander of the 23 sector Assam Rifles Brig. S. P. Rawat, and Commandant of the 26th Assam Rifles Col. Gaurav Chaturvedi planted trees.

Government employees, students and members of the NGOs participated in the Day by planting trees in different parts of the state.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Five prisoners escape from Aizawl jail

Altogether five convicts escaped from Aizawl central jail last night, jail authority today said. Jail authorities said five inmates, four convicted for life imprisonment for murder and one convicted for seven years imprisonment for rape, escaped from their cell by using a duplicate key and scaled the prison wall with the help of their blankets. Though the security guards were informed of the incident after 20 minutes by a cellmate, the escaped prisoners managed to flee out of sight. Surprisingly, the escapees had earlier made a jailbreak attempt which was foiled by the security guards. The escaped prisoners included a Bihar resident, two Tripura residents and one Mizoram resident, four of them convicted for murder and one Myanmarese national convicted for rape.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Centre push for road revamp

Silchar, Jun 12 : The Centre has asked the Congress government in Mizoram to lay its priority on road development and allot Rs 200 crore of the Rs 2,300 crore annual plan package, fixed in New Delhi last week for 2012-13 fiscal, for toning up the state’s road system.

Chief minister Lalthanhawla has accepted the proposal. He also pointed out to Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia that already 94.4 per cent of the 785 villages in the state have been connected with approach roads.

Around 61.9 per cent of these villages, many of which are perched on the hills, have been connected to the other parts by all-weather roads.

Official reports reaching here from Aizawl stated a special road development programme for Mizoram was incorporated in the annual plan, as desired by the Centre.

The Centre has also pointed out to Lalthanhawla that grant of some additional funds by the Union finance ministry could be considered for the execution of this road development project during this fiscal.

Mizoram already has NH 54 connecting Silchar with Aizawl at its first lap and then with Lunglei town on the southern flank. The total length of this national highway is 417km.

The Centre has also asked the Mizoram government to emphasise the state’s foodgrain output, so that it could become self-sufficient in a few years.

At present, the state government depends on the Centre for the release of rice and wheat from its grain pool through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for feeding a population of over 9 lakh.

Mizoram farmers grow rice, staple food of the Mizos, from its jhum fields on the hill slopes and farms in the plains.

In another innovative scheme, the state government’s New Land Use Policy has earned kudos from the Planning Commission.

This 2,600-crore plus project aims at providing Mizos living in the rural areas the scope to earn their livelihood by farming rice, vegetables and horticulture products and by engaging them in the production of handicrafts and trade.

Lalthanhawla said his state had already made progress in the education and health sectors.

Lalthanhawla told the Centre in New Delhi last week, that Mizoram had already achieved the status of the second-most literate state in the country by notching up literacy figure of 91.58 per cent. Kerala leads with 93.91 per cent.

The Centre has lauded the Mizoram government’s efforts to achieve fiscal discipline by restricting fiscal deficit at 2.4 per cent of its annual budget.

Centre okays Rs 435 crore for Mizoram flagship project

The Planning Commission has given its nod to allocate Rs 435 crore for the Mizoram's ambitious project New Land Use Policy, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said here today. Briefing the press after he arrived from New Delhi where he had the state plan size pegged at Rs 2300 crore, a record-breaking 36.29 per cent increase, Mr Thanhawla was happy to announce that "the Planning Commission has not only allowed us to double the allocation for NLUP, it has also given us a green signal to use additional fund as per our requirement." Of the Rs 1700 plan fund last year, the Congress government allocated Rs 234.82 crore for it flagship project that aims to gradually shift the farmers for the primitive shifting cultivation by providing them permanent land-based occupation.

The 2526.98 crore project aims to cover 1,20,000 families in five years. Expressing regrets over FMD infection on some of the imported dairy cows for the NLUP beneficiaries who opted for dairy farming, the Chief Minister assured that all the dead cows would be replaced with healthy ones.

But those who "acted in a way to defame the government" would not be compensated.

Besides the normal road maintenance fund, the Plannning Commission has also allowed Rs 200 crore for 'special road development project.' "This is to be submitted by the state government subject to the availability of additional resources from the ministry of finance," Mr Thanhawla said. "We will hopefully get additional fund for the under construction Rajiv Gandhi sports stadium and the 210 MW Tuivai hydel project," Mr Thanhawla said.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Mother, son commit suicide

Aizawl, Jun 8 : A woman and her 18-year-old son allegedly committed suicide on consecutive days in Vairengte town of Mizoram, police said today. Ailing Thangpuii, belonging to Bru community, was missing since June four and was found hanging from a tree near their house yesterday. Her youngest son Zobela was found hanging inside their latrine on June five. Locals believe that Zobela committed suicide for failure to look after his ailing mother who was found missing while he was sleeping. The mother and son were buried yesterday.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Mizoram Plan for 2012-13 Finalized

The Annual Plan for the year 2012-13 for the state of Mizoram was finalised here today at a meeting between Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister of Mizoram, PU Lalthanhawla. The plan size has been agreed at Rs 2300 crore.

He said thrust will be on the food grain production & productivity to reduce food grain deficit and ultimately attain self-sufficiency by raising Plan allocation for Agriculture & Allied Sector through continued implementation of comprehensive and integrated socio-economic development project under the New Land Use Policy of the state Government. Industries: investment in agro-based industries, food processing, micro industries, and bamboo based industries would be promoted.

As a result of investment made in developmental activities since Fourth Five Year Plan, significant progress has been achieved in the sectors of Road Transport, Power, Education and Health. While 94.4% of the villages have been connected with approach roads and 61.19% villages have been connected by all-weather roads, 81.31% of the villages have been electrified. According to census 2011 the literacy level is 91.58% has placed Mizoram next to Kerala 93.91%.

Some sector like transport, education and health have expanded rapidly contributing to the tertiary sector income. Data indicates that tertiary sector is the main source of income in the state (69%) although agriculture and allied activities constitute the mainstay of the economy.

Brief the Commission on plan performance and priorities of the Government during 12th plan, the Chief Minister said the State has maintained fiscal discipline. Fiscal deficit has been restricted at 2.4 per cent and since 2003-04 revenue surplus has been maintained. He said the State has introduced new power policy, revised industrial policy and adopted new land use and management policy to give necessary impetus to the development strategy.

The Chief Minister requested that the central guidelines creating problems and guidelines contradictory to the basic objectives of central schemes should be amended better convergence of State plan with central schemes should be attempted by allocating more untied fund so that State may avail more funds under various CSS and central Ministries.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Hiccup of NLUP-Mizoram

Imphal, Jun 4 : The much hyped Mizoram's New Land Use Policy (NLUP) has got some hiccups as it gas given disappointments to large number of beneficiaries i one way or the other.

The common complaints from the beneficiaries have been the issuing of unhealthy animals to the beneficiaries by the state government.

Farmers are now complaining that cattle brought from Punjab and Haryana by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department of Mizoram are not healthy.

Many cows have either died or fallen ill.

The Mizoram Government have been severely criticised in this regard.

Meanwhile, being concerned with the problem, the Mizoram government has taken necessary steps.

Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla has directed the minister concerned, New Land Use Implementing Board (NIB) officials and the Animal Husbandry department officials of the state to address the problem immediately.

According to reports received, doctors have been sent by the government immediately to inspect the problem faced by the farmers at Durtlang and Sihphir, where the ill cows were given free check-up; and moreover, free training has also been given to the cattle farmers.

Since the problem has arisen, the department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary and NLUP Implementing Board (NIB) have been taking necessary steps to ease the problem; and accordingly the supply order has been immediately cancelled.

The problem of NLUP came up two months after Mizoram Finance minister of Mizoram, H Liansailova had informed the members of Mizoram Legislative Assembly that a comprehensive project for inclusive and equitable growth called New Land Use Policy (NLUP) had been successfully implemented in the State with the approval and active participation of Planning Commission, Government of India since January, 2011 .

The main objective of this noble project is major overhauling of the State economy through structural replacement of devastating shifting cultivation by introducing systematic method of occupation based on local resources and ingenuity of the local people.

The minister was saying this while presenting interim annual budget for 2012-13 .

Highlighting some of the achievement under NLUP, the minister had said on March 22 was that a total of Rs 468.82 crore had so far been released by the Government of India for NLUP since its inception in 2010-11 .

Women hooked to tobacco in Mizoram

Aizawl, Jun 4 : A Disturbing 62 per cent of Mizo women are consuming tobacco in various forms, against the national average of only 2.9 percent. Meanwhile, 72.5 percent of the male population consumes tobacco.

With 67.2 per cent of the total population of a little more than ten lakh consuming tobacco, Mizoram has earned the dubious distinction of the heaviest tobacco-consuming state in India.

According to data available with the Mizoram State Cancer Society, 39.7 percent of Mizos consumed tobacco in the form of cigarettes, against the national average of 14 percent while 40.7 per cent consumed other tobacco products like khaini and tuibur (tobacco-induced water).

The unique tobacco product called ‘Tuibur’, is made locally by passing smoke generated by burning tobacco through water until the preparation turns cognac in colour and has a pungent smell.

Besides this, ‘meizial’, or hand-rolled cigarettes, is also popular among women. Consumption of tobacco in the form of khaini and tuibur is prevalent among Mizo women, putting them at risk to ovarian cancer.

“Ovarian cancer has become popular among Mizo women due to heavy consumption of tobacco,” said Dr Jeremy L Pautu, director of the Mizoram State Cancer Institute.

The MSCS assessed that the annual death rate among women who smoked in the age group of 45 to 74 years was twice as high as that of those who abstained from the habit.

Aizawl, Serchhip, Lunglei, Kolasib, Champhai and Mamit districts in Mizoram are among the ten districts with highest prevalence of cancer in men while four of the districts – Aizawl, Serchhip, Kolasib, Lunglei, are among the ten district with highest prevalence of cancer in women, Dr Pautu informed.

Besides ovarian cancer, lung cancer is common among Mizo women while stomach cancer is the commonest among their male counterparts.

Not surprisingly, Mizoram spends an estimated amount of Rs 200 crore annually for buying tobacco and other tobacco products, said Lunglei the district deputy commissioner V Sapchhunga, while addressing a World No Tobacco Day function at Lunglei in southern Mizoram today.

The World No Tobacco Day observed across Mizoram today with the rest of the world saw the launching of the Blue Ribbon Campaign, a WHO programme to save lives from second-smoke. The campaign was launched simultaneously in Mizoram with chief minister Lal Thanhawla launching it at the main function at Chanmari YMA Hall here.

“Doctors say second-hand smoke accounts for more than 600 000 deaths each year around the world. Now, they have discovered that third-hand smoke, which is the contamination of the surfaces of objects that remains after the second-hand smoke has cleared. They say third-hand smoke is more hazardous,” Lal Thanhawla said.

Lal Thanhawla said that his government has decided to enact tough laws to curb the use of tobacco products. Indian Society on Tobacco & Health, Mizoram chapter president and chief minister Lal Riliana, who also addressed the function, emphasised on the hazardous effects of second-smoke to others, especially to pregnant women.

She highlighted that 98 percent of households in Mizoram are not free from second-hand smoke, and a whopping 98 percent allow people to smoke inside their houses. “As Mizoram has been declared a smoke-free state, let us all work together to make Mizoram an environment free of smoke,” she said.

Mizoram's first 'monument'

The menhirs of Vangchhia to be protected by ASI

SOBHANA K

New Delhi, June 2: Mizoram is about to record a dot on Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) map of protected sites — a first for the state that came into existence 25 years ago.

A site — the menhirs of Vangchhia — in the northeastern state has been found to satisfy all criteria required to become eligible for central protection.

Mizoram was the only state in the region that did not have a single site protected by the ASI, which, in a meeting held on May 22 in Delhi, had approved central protection for the site. The ASI is now busy drafting the preliminary notification.

The menhirs in Vangchhia village of the state’s Champai district, which have engravings of hunting scenes, come in various sizes. “These could be several hundred years old. It is necessary, now that these will come under ASI’s protection, to carry out detailed research on the menhirs,” said Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) convener for Mizoram, P. Rohminthanga.

Intach had first visited the site in 2010. In 2011, the ASI officials visited the site twice before preparing the draft proposal. It takes about three hours by road to reach Vangchhai village from the Champai district headquarters. The actual site where the 171 menhirs stand is known as Kawtchhuah Ropui, meaning the Great Entranceway. The Tibeto-Burman population migrated from here. “There is a local folktale that this entranceway is connected to a stone pathway that runs all the way to Tiau river on the India-Myanmar border,” Rohminthanga said.

A menhir at Vangchhia

Over the years these menhirs have seen a lot of damage.

“They have been used for construction of houses or damaged because of natural occurrences. Overall, though the villagers respect the structures, there was no systematic preservation of the site,” he said.

Menhirs or monoliths are found in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh but are not common in the rest of India. A monument is declared centrally protected only when the local circle office sends a detailed proposal.

The proposal has to justify the importance of the monument as well enlist the reasons why the monument needs protection. This proposal is then studied at the culture ministry. A preliminary notification is published for local people to raise objections. Finally, with the signature of the director general of ASI, a notification declares the monument as centrally protected.

“Central protection means that the monument will get the entire wherewithal — CISF security, ticketing counters, information boards and so on,” an official said.