Day: June 27, 2012

Mail News Service
New Delhi, June 27 : The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar has launched the Space Based Information Kiosk on North Eastern Region, SBIK-NER, here yesterday.
The main objective of the SBIK-NER is to provide relevant information on each of the eight states of North Eastern Region to the Minister for DoNER, Secretaries and officials as well as the visitors of the region in a touch screen based display panel through user friendly software environment developed by NESAC, North Eastern Space Application Centre. The Phase-I version of SBIK-NER contains state-wise information on land use land cover, wetlands, wastelands, land degradation map, roads and other valuable information. It also contains the state-wise imagery of Advanced Wide Field Sensor of IRS-P6 Satellite.
The Minister informed that the SBIK-NER is also linked with a portal namely-North Eastern District Resource Plans of Meghalaya, which aims to provide space technology inputs for preparing Detailed Project Report for the benefit of district administrations as well as concerned line departments. He also informed that the Phase-II version of SBIK-NER will contain more information at district level to all NER states along with block level details and finer resolution satellite imageries.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/doner-minister-launches-space-based-information-kiosk-on-ne/

Mail News Service
New Delhi, June 27 : The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Chairman of North Eastern Council (NEC), Paban Singh Ghatowar has chaired the 61st NEC Plenary Meet here today.
The Members of the Council includes, the Governors and the Chief Ministers of North Eastern States and their representatives had attended the brain storming sessions and the Planery session. Issues pertaining to the North Eastern States such as development of Transport and Communication, Tele-communication, Civil Aviation, Railways, Development of various Sectors that are crucial to the economic progress of the regions were discussed. Special presentations on the Action Plan prepared for North Eastern Region were given by Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Members present includes Governors of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Tripura, Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland, Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Chief Secretary of Manipur, Minister Planning of Assam and three members of NEC. 
NEC had performed exceedingly well on many of its slated functions including infra-structure development in the field of Transport & Communication, Power, Health, Education, Sports, Agriculture, etc. For the Financial year 2011-12, NEC had released Rs. 693.00 crs, out of the total budget allocation of Rs. 700.00 crs, accounting for over 99 %.
During each Annual Plan during the currency of the 11th FYP i.e., 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12, the actual budget allocations provided for the NEC were the amounts of Rs. 600 crores, Rs. 624 crores, Rs. 624 crores, Rs. 700 crores and Rs. 700 crores, respectively.
Thus, the actual amount allocated during the Eleventh Five Year Plan comes to Rs.3248.50 crores. During the 10th Five Year Plan, the ratio was Rs. 2,511.50 crores out of an approved outlay of Rs. 3500.00 crores, thus showing 71.76% of outlay as allocation.
As far as the 11th Five Year Plan is concerned, the ratio has come down drastically – Rs. 3248.50 crores of actual allocation in a total of approved outlay of Rs. 7394.00 crores, thus showing 43.93% of outlay as allocation. • NEC had convened a number of Working Groups for the 12th Five Year Plan under Transport and Communication Sector, Power, Health, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Human Resource Development and Employment Sectors.
NEC had also prepared a Comprehensive Tourism Master Plan for the entire North Eastern States identifying tourist circuits and Preparation of Health Workforce Development Plan for the NER. • 9 (Nine) Inter-State tourist circuits have been finalized for taking up in the first phase of the implementation of the Tourism Master Plan. They are: In the Meeting, an in-depth discussion on issues such as following were discussed: 
(i) Air Connectivity for all the region , inter state, intra state as well as outside of the Region. The need to have small helipads for small aircrafts were highlighted by members of the August house as Road connectivity is very poor in hilly regions where there are no PPP mode of investment and acute fund constraint. 
(ii) Agricultural related issues such as provision of Irrigation system across the states of the North Eastern Region for improved agricultural productivities, as to a very large extend, the NER is fully dependent on agricultural products. Soil conservation programme needs to be taken up immediately as top soil are being depleted extensively because of deforestation as well as heavy rain through out the year. The need for Special Agriculture Policy for the region was emphasized. 
(iii) The need for attracting investment, both private and Government, in the North East Region is extremely important in Industry sector for generation of employment. 
(iv) Power supply being extremely important, the need for setting up small, mini and medium power projects were emphasized. An expert committee for studying the safety of dams needs to be constituted. 
(v) Road connectivity between inter state, intra state amongst the rural areas need to be taken on priority. 
(vi) The house was informed that the Churaibai-Agartala of NH-44 which is about 200 kms length and of which 85 km is already 2 laned. 2 laning of 49kms has been included in current Annual Plan. DPR for the Agartala-Sabrooni of about 130 kms is under preparation. 
(vii) There was a need raised to re address many of the requirement under central Govt. policies such as the requirement of 100 mtrs for a bridge to be taken up under PMGSY should be reduced to 50mtrs in North East Region. 
(viii) The house was informed that Railway network of the North East Region as on 1.4.12 is 2497kms Board Gauge, 1324 km Meter Gauge and 87km Narrow Gauge , totaling 3908 kms. The Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh) 13 km new line and Lungdim-Hojal-Patch Doubling of 45 kms are being taken up during current Financial Year. Projects already surveyed and pending with Planning Commission for approval include (a) the 58 kms Barpeta Road for Rs. 520 crs.,(b) 344 kms Chaparmukh- Dibrugarh, via Salona, Khumtai, for Rs. 3491 cr.,(c) Dangri-Dhola for 48 cr., (d) 257 kms Dimapur-Tizit for Rs. 4274 cr., (e) 18 kms Dullabchera-Cheragi for Rs. 110 cr., (f) 20 kms Lalabazar-Vairengte for 364 cr., (g) 98 kms Rupai-Parashuramkund via Mahadeva, Namsai, Chingkham for 1289 cr., (h) 9 kms Tuli line- Tuli town for 109crs. 
(ix) Three hubs for parking big aircraft in Guwahati, Imphal, Agartala and Dibrugarh are being taken up. Hub at Guwahati will serve as the regional hub. Hubs include night landing and night parking facilities Expansion of Apron for parking more Aircraft and construction of new building in Gwt Airport under way. Development of Tezu Airport is already started. 

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/doner-minister-chairs-61st-nec-meeting-hub-for-parking-big-aircraft-in-imphal-airport-taken-up/

Thiruvanthapuram, June 27 (ANI): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said Pakistan’s decision to release Surjeet Singh and not Sarabjit Singh has no connection with the arrest of 26/11 handler Abu Jundal.
Chidambaram said India has continued to press Sarabjit’s case before the Pakistani Government.
“I don’t think this has any connection with Abu Jundal’s arrest. I think this was on the works. We continued to press Sarabjit’s case. The Home Secretary-level talks we have pressed Sarabjit’s case. Sarabjit’s family met me. Foreign Minister has taken up this case,” he said.
Chidambaram further said there might be some internal hiccups in Pakistan in this regard.
“Now, why they first put out or appeared to put out that Sarabjit is the person who is being released and then they flipped and said it is Surjeet who is being released. I cannot say, but when I was first told by a newspaper friend that Sarabjit has been released and asked for a comment,” said Chidambaram.
“I declined a comment because I was not sure that the news was right. Later in the night, it turned out that it was not Sarabjit but Surjeet. May be there are some internal hiccups there, but I don’t think it has any connection with Abu Jundal’s case,” he added. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, who was also present at the media briefing expressed hope that Pakistan will look into the contradictions compassionately and release both Surjeet and Sarabjit.
“I have come to know that Surjeet Singh’s death sentence was commuted to a life term in 2004 during the regime of an earlier president. So, now that he has finished the number of years, which are mandatory for life imprisonment, he is being released. Whereas it was very specifically mentioned that President Zardari had commuted the death sentence to life sentence and since Sarabjit has already served more than a life sentence it was that he is going to be released,” said Soni.
“I am sure that this contradiction will be looked at sensitively, compassionately by the Pakistan authorities and they will release both Surjeet Singh and Sarabjit Singh,” she added.
India has today requested Pakistan to release death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna earlier today said that he welcomes Islamabad’s decision to release Surjeet Singh, but added that New Delhi has consistently urged the Government of Pakistan on several occasions to take a sympathetic and humanitarian view in the case of Sarabjit Singh.
Krishna also made an appeal to the Pakistani Government to release all Indian nationals, who have completed their prison term or are serving jail sentences.
Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur also requested the Pakistan Government to release Sarabjit Singh on humanitarian grounds.
Hours after reports emerged that Pakistan was to free Sarabjit Singh, the presidential spokesman clarified last night that the authorities had taken steps for the release of another Indian prisoner named Surjeet Singh.
Surjeet Singh, currently being held in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, has been in Pakistani captivity for over 30 years. He was captured near the border with India on charges of spying during the era of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq.
It was earlier reported that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has converted Sarabjit Singh’s death sentence to life imprisonment and directed authorities to release him if he had completed his prison term.
Forty nine-year-old Sarabjit, who has spent 21 years on death row, is currently being held at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Sarabjit, who was condemned to death for his involvement in a string of bombings in Punjab in 1990, had earlier last month filed a fresh clemency appeal to President Zardari. (ANI)

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/pakistans-midnight-flip-not-linked-to-jundals-arrest-chidambaram/