Month: July 2012

Aizawl, July 24 NNN : In a bid to carry out rubber plantation in Mizoram in a broader scale, a meeting of Rubber Board of India officials and concerned department officials of Mizoram was held under the chairmanship of state Soil and Water Conservation minister J.H.Rothuama in Aizawl today.J.H. Rothuama mentioned that since the 1960s rubber plantation has been started in Mizoram, and it has also been found that the plantation can be successful but due to difficulty in getting good saplings, the need of long duration, lack of technical know-how, only a few persons have planted. Since the success of the neighbouring Tripura state in rubber plantation, Mizoram government also has started taking initiatives to carry out rubber plantation. J.H.
Rothuama lauded Governor Vakkom Purusothaman and Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla for arranging the consultative meeting today with officials of the Rubber Board of India, and said in order to carry out different schemes for rubber plantation by Mizoram Government, the assistance of Rubber Board of India will be needed.
Rubber Board of India Chairperson Sheela Thomas said that since the 1980s Rubber Board of India concentrated to North East India in its programme of rubber plantation, as a result of which Tripura becomes the second largest producer of rubber in India. She also said that only 1,000 Ha of land has been used for rubber plantation. Since Mizoram government has taken up steps now to carry out rubber plantation in a larger scale, the Rubber Board of India will provide assistance regarding nursery, new technology,subsidy for cultivators and others. In the meeting today, P.L.Thanga IAS (Rtd), Member & Secretary, State Planning Board highlighted the requirements for carrying out rubber plantation in a large scale by Mizoram government. P.L.Thanga mentioned that under the government flagship programme New Land Use Policy ( NLUP) 3000 beneficiaries have been selected for rubber plantation.
Mizoram has about 5,75,000 Ha for rubber plantation. The initiatives of state Soil and Water Conservation department and individuals cover only 50Ha.
Meanwhile, 1,117Ha has been estimated to cover under New Land Use Policy ( NLUP) Phase I & II; and for 2012-2013 1,000Ha under NABARD, and 1,300 Ha under RKVY, besides 5,000ha within 12th Plan under North Eastern Council (NEC).

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/rubber-plantation-at-mizoram/

Dimapur, July 24 NNN : The slogan, “Too Little, Too Late” postal campaign of the Eastern Naga Peoples Organisation (ENPO) continues to roar in spite of the numerous offers including packages for the four Nagaland districts of Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire and Longleng.
ENPO has been demanding to carve out these four districts from Nagaland to form a separate state christened as “Frontier Nagaland.”
ENPO leader Toshi Wungpung said tonight that the demand for ‘Frontier Nagaland’ is the demand of the people from these four eastern Nagaland districts which has been placed before the central government.
On Tuesday, a daily has reported that Rs 300 crore would be utilised in these four districts in developmental sectors.
It is worth noting that early this year Nagas in four Nagaland districts had carried out massive public rallies demanding the creation of a new state christened as ‘Frontier Nagaland’ by bifurcating Nagaland. 
  The rallies were held simultaneously in the districts of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire and Longleng on January 7. The rallies were organised by Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO). 
The ENPO, which is the apex organization of six Naga tribes including Konyak, Khiamniungan, Chang, Yimchunger, Sangtam and Phom inhabiting the four districts, had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister urging him to realize the demand. “Our demand for the creation of Frontier Nagaland is based on historical facts. This is something like going back to the earlier arrangement when the entire area was under the erstwhile Tuensang Frontier Division of NEFA,” ENPO leader Toshi Wungpung had said.  
Prior to Nagaland’s attainment of statehood in 1963, the entire area was under the Tuensang Frontier Division of NEFA. Mon, Kiphire and Longleng districts were carved out of Tuensang post-statehood.
“For decades, gross injustice has been done to the people of these four districts by the successive governments, both in the state and at the centre,” Wungmung had also alleged few months ago. 
“Of the 11 districts in Nagaland, these four backward districts have almost half of the state’s total population. But despite that, they continue to remain extremely under-developed,” the ENPO leader had said. He added that only three per cent of the total population of the four districts was into government jobs.
“It is a democratic and people’s movement based on fundamental issues. The people in the four districts have their wholehearted support to it,” Toshi Wungpung had further stated earlier.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/enpo-demands-frontier-nagaland/

Mail News Service
New Delhi, July 24: The Special Judge for CBI Cases, Bangalore has convicted Shri P. Obaiah, the then Branch Head; G. V.
Halappa, the then Manager (Credit) both of Syndicate Bank, N.R. Colony Branch, Bangalore and N. Shankar, a
private to undergo imprisonment for a period of three years with total fine Rs. 6,25,000/- for causing loss of Rs. 1.60 crore to Bank.
CBI had filed a charge sheet after completion of investigation in the case against Shri P. Obaiah and two others U/s 120-B r/w 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC and Sec. 13(2) r/w 13(1) (c) & (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988. The allegations as per the charge sheet were that P. Obaiah and G. V. Halappa while working in Syndicate Bank, N. R. Colony Branch, Bangalore had entered into criminal conspiracy with other accused person during 2007-09 in the matter of sanction & disbursal of secured overdraft and other secured loan. They allowed discounting of bills in violation of bank procedures & rules and on the basis of forged documents. The accused persons caused a wrongful loss of Rs.1.60 crore to Syndicate Bank and corresponding wrongful gain.
The Trial Court found the accused guilty and convicted them.
In another incident Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a General Manager; Senior Engineer and Engineer Trainee (Purchase), all of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd(BHEL), Nagpur for demanding & accepting a bribe of Rs. 1,10,000/- from the complainant.
The complainant, a Managing Director of Ahmedabad based manufacturing company had alleged in his complaint that BHEL, Nagpur had floated a tender for supply of different types of hydraulic pumps. After opening of the price bid, the accused had intimated the complainant that the supply order for hydraulic pumps worth around Rs. 66 lakhs could be awarded to his company. However, the accused persons in conspiracy with each other demanded bribe from the complainant at the rate of 2% of the amount in the supply order. The complainant did not want to pay the bribe and lodged a complaint with CBI.
CBI laid a trap and the accused General Manager was caught red-handed while demanding & accepting a bribe of Rs. 50,000/- whereas the Engineer Trainee in charge of Purchase was caught red-handed while demanding & accepting a bribe of Rs. 60,000/- on behalf of the other accused Senior Engineer.
Searches are being conducted in the premises of the accused persons at various places in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
All the three arrested accused will be produced in the jurisdiction court at Ahmedabad after obtaining transit remand from the Court at Nagpur.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/three-years-imprisonment-for-bank-managers/