NORTH EAST NEWS BULLETIN
DATED:-10/01/2013
HEADLINES
1. Lack of financing and manpower preventing private players in
highway projects in Northeast.
2. Tripura government opposes death punishment for rape.
3. Meghalaya government surveys site for Shillong Medical College.
 Assam police intensifies search operation to nab culprits of
Bartarani blast.
4. Arunachal Pradesh signs MoU to implement National Pension
System.
5. BSF apprehends five Bangladeshi smugglers from Indo-Bangladesh
border in Meghalaya.
 
NEWS IN ORDER
HOSPITAL:
Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Health and Family Welfare
department, Rowell Lyngdoh has said that a survey is being conducted for
the proposed Shillong Medical College site at Jhalupara currently housing
the Reid Chest (TB) Hospital. Mr. Lyngdoh said that the survey is being
conducted by the Washington-based Chrysoula Economopoulos, a
consultant engaged in advisory services in public-private partnerships
(PPP).  Stating that the consultancy firm has to place the survey report
before the Government for approval, Mr. Lyngdoh said that the College
will house over 500 beds and cater to over 200,000  patients every year.
Official sources said that the State Government has decided to shift the
Reid Chest (TB) Hospital to Mawdiangdiang to make way for the proposed
hospital and added that a plot of land has been allotted by the Urban
Affairs department. The Health Minister said that a tender has been
floated for the construction of the TB Hospital at Mawdiangdiang.
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NPS
The Arunachal Pradesh government has entered into an agreement
with the National Securities Depository Ltd, authorising it to work as a
Central Record Keeping Agency for adoption of National Pension System.
Development Commissioner (Finance) Ramesh Negi signed a
Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the state  government with
Executive Vice President NSDL Chandrashekhar Tilak, in the presence of
a host of bureaucrats. NPS is an initiative by the  Centre and Arunachal Pradesh happens to be the 26th state to adopt it. Official sources said that
more than 6,160 employees, who have joined the services of the state
government on or after January 1, 2008, would be able to avail the NPS
benefits. More than 44 lakh subscribers across central government, state
government, central and state autonomous bodies, few corporate and other
citizens have been associated with NPS.
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NORTHEAST
The Northeast region has been facing major challenges in attracting
private players for highway projects due to the lack of financing and good
manpower. A senior official in the National Highway Authority of India
said that getting financing in the public-private partnership projects for the
North-eastern region is difficult. Stating that the challenges in the Northeast are mainly lack of good manpower with the contractors and
concessionaire, the official said that they should  therefore look for
manpower within the region instead of employing from other states. The
National Highways Authority of India is of the view that the Engineering
Procurement and Construction mode for awarding projects in the region is
a better model as compared to PPP. The NHAI official said the modified
EPC mode would be helpful in this region because unlike PPP it does not
require private financing, government will be funding these projects.
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BLAST
In Assam, police have intensified search operation  to nab the culprits
behind the blast at Bartarani village under Digboi  police station in
Tinsukia district. The blast claimed the lives of three children aged and left
another two persons including a child injured. The injured are undergoing
treatment in Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh. Tinsukia S P, P P Singh
said that the blast occurred when one of the victims removed the pin of the
grenade. The grenade was brought home from a paddy field by the victim’s
father. Police are inquiring whether ULFA cadre kept the explosive in the
area. Recently; security forces seized two IED and gunned down a cadre of
the anti-talk faction of ULFA in the district.
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RAPE
The Manik Sarkar-led Cabinet has proposed imprisonment until
death of the persons convicted for rape or other related crimes to women
and wanted to reduce the age of juvenile to 15 years. Chief Secretary Dr S
K Panda said that the state cabinet had sent the proposal to Justice VarmaCommittee opposing capital punishment and urged to  extend life
imprisonment from its present term. Dr. Panda said  that the cabinet
however, suggested finishing the trial within 90 days in fast-track court
without granting bail to the accused. The chief secretary also stated that
the January 5 is the last date for sending the suggestions to former Chief
Justice of India JS Varma headed by three members committee to rehash
the justice mechanism of women related crimes in India following Delhi
incident in last month.
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SMUGGLERS
Five Bangladeshi smugglers were apprehended by Border Security Force
personnel from the Indo-Bangladesh border in South Garo Hills district of
Meghalaya. BSF sources said that the smugglers were apprehended while
they were trying to infiltrate into India from Bangladesh near Boundary
Pillar No. 1131/2-s. The apprehended smugglers were identified as Amross,
Baham Chiran, Firos Sangma, Niran Marak and Oliyatozoo Sangma and
are residents of Namchapara village in Mynmensingh  district of
Bangladesh. The BSF recovered two mobile handsets with Bangladeshi
SIM cards and Indian currency amounting 12,440 rupees.
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