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Kashmir almonds ready to hit markets

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Werwan (J-K), Sept 19 (ANI): With the almond harvesting reaching its final stages, the growers are gearing up to hit the local market in Kashmir.

Residents of Werwan village in Pulwama district, very famous for almonds, are busy harvesting the almond crops.

Eighty-five per cent people are doing the almond business. These days, they are very busy in harvesting.

“This year, the almonds were bigger and the kernel was also large. We hope that this year because of good quality, we will get good rates for our almonds,” said Jan Muhammad Lone, a grower.

With a comparatively good and timely rainfall this season, the state authorities are hoping for a better return for the growers.

“This year and even last year, the kernel developments were excellent. Compared to last year, this year we have received timely rainfall during the fruit development months of almonds that is May and June.

Therefore, the almond farmers are quite happy that their crop yields are good and they will receive good money of it,” said Manzoor Ahmed, a horticulture development officer.

Shalimar, Makdoon and Waris are some of the varieties of almonds that are grown in Kashmir. By Afzal Butt (ANI)

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Pak Army’s plans to use private militia against Taliban may backfire: Report

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep.18 (ANI): The Pakistan Army’s initiative to sponsor local militias, or the lashkars, as they are commonly known, may have been working in its favour against the Taliban, however some people feel such move could back fire in future.

Backed by the Army, which had initiated an all out operation against the Taliban in Swat and Malakand Divisions in April, more than 8,000 villagers living across the region have joined these militias to try to keep the Taliban away from their villages.

Military officials are encouraging people to join hands with the troops against the extremists and carrying out special drives for forming such lashkars.

“The military is going village to village, speaking with elders and encouraging them to form their own lashkars and unite with existing ones,” said Swat military spokesman Major Mushtaq Khan.

While the Army considers that its initiative would yield positive results and prevent the Taliban’s onslaught in the region, experts have raised questions over it saying the move could have catastrophic effect in future.

“They could be temporarily used in some areas where the Taliban are weak or heavily resented, like in Swat. But at the end of the day, the villagers need to do their work; they can’t be armed every night,” The Christian Science Monitor quoted, Rahimullah Yusufzai, a well-known journalist, as saying.

“Creating these private militias may work in the short-run, but what if they later turn on each other to settle personal scores?” usufzai asked

Experts said the military should think twice before trying to extend the experimant into Pakistan’s other tribal agencies, where the Taliban still maintains a strong grip.

“It’s a very interesting experiment. But if it works in Swat, this can’t be replicated anywhere else, because the guys that they were pitted against were way too powerful, the murder of Qari Zainuddin was a case in point,” said Rifaat Hussain, an analyst at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad. (ANI)

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Farmers protest against Hydro Power Project in Himachal

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Rampur (HP), Sept 18 (ANI): Hundreds of residents and farmers here protested against the construction of run-of-river hydropower plant project on the river Satluj.

The campaigners called for Save Satluj drive and complained that the hydropower plant would disturb the ecological balance of the region.

“Our protest is to save our environment and our natural resources. They are being affected by the project. Because of this, the Sutlaj river will dry up, water mammals will die and the temperature of the region will also rise,” said Mohan Singh, a farmer.

Environmentalists believe that the 412MW Rampur hydropower project is not suitable to the fragile ecology of the region.

“The project will divert this river through the tunnel leaving the river bed dry which will disturb the ecological balance. This will not only affect the course of river but will also harm the crop grown in the area,” said Jai Chand, head of the Village Committee for Environment Protection.

The activists were protesting against the Rampur hydropower project authorities and the district administration.

The campaigners later staged a sit-in-protest outside the office of Sub-Divisional Magistrate demanding his intervention into the matter.

Rampur Hydropower Project will provide renewable and low carbon energy to the country’s over-stretched Northern Electricity Grid. (ANI)

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Jharkhand man begs for alms to run orphanage

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Dampara (Jharkhand), Sept 17 (ANI): Kantha Singh, a former motor mechanic, plays good samaritan for 42 orphans from tribal communities and runs an orphanage by begging for alms at Dampara village in Jharkhand.

Started in 2007, the orphanage had just 15 children. These children have been rendered homeless due to reckless alcoholism and polygamy prevalent in the area.

“They do not have any guardian. Some of them were even working, while others were living with relatives. We started the orphanage with 15 children, now we have 42. They are all taken care of and they are all studying,” said Singh.

Singh has voluntary workers at the orphanage, who beg for alms in the surrounding villages. The offerings by the people are not always enough. At times, the children have to make do with just salt and rice.

“We go from village to village begging for alms,” said Ramchandra Hembrum, a worker.

Singh’s service has earned him an invitation from the President. He and the other workers at the orphanage are now hopeful that the President would do something for the children.

The unexpected development has left them all overwhelmed.

“He will meet the President and talk to her about how difficult it is to run the orphanage. He will also talk about the needs of the children and all we need to run the orphanage well. He will also talk about their educational and other needs,” said Pather Saran, another worker.

Singh has also been taking care of the education of the orphans. He runs a school within the orphanage and hopes that the President will extend help, in his efforts to educate the children and ensure a good life for them. By Girija Shankar Ojha (ANI)

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Banking transforms lives in rural areas in northeast

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Agartala (Tripura)/ Jorhat (Assam), Sep.16 (ANI): Banking services are playing a major role in transforming the lives of people in rural areas of the northeast India.

To upgrade infrastructure and attract more investment, banks have undertaken several economic upliftment policies and schemes.

In Tripura, a financial outreach camp was recently organized at the State’s Pitra village to raise awareness among villagers about banking and central banking services. It also intended to bring them under the fold of mainstream banking.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) took the initiative along with different functioning banks in the State. It came as a boon to thousands of villagers, especially farmers, who enthusiastically participated in the camp.

Villagers were familiarized with various banking facilities, security features of currency notes. They were given an opportunity to exchange their soiled and mutilated currency notes and exchange currency notes for coins.

The participants put up their queries about banking facilities in the area.

“Here we do not have any banking system. Because of the camp the villagers would be benefited. With bank accounts, people will get to know about savings and this will help them in the future,” said Bubantala Jamatia, a Pitra villager.

“This outreach camp has helped poor villagers and we are now opening accounts without depositing any money,” said Anishmia Sarkar, a villager. o improve the banking sector in northeast, the Reserve bank of India has set up a Committee on Financial Sector Development.

The committee has made several major recommendations, including financial inclusion, opening of bank branches and enhancement of credit flow to the region.

“As far as Reserve Bank of India is concerned, the approach is that we work together, the State government, the banks, the non-governmental organizations, the local Panchayati Raj institutions and the Reserve Bank will act like a catalyst to make people come together an work for economic development,” said Usha Thorat, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India.

The United Bank of India (UBI) has drawn up a plan for economic upliftment of the seven northeastern States called ‘Vision 2020 for northeast’ aimed to cover rural people.

‘Vision 2020 for northeast, the plan, was declared during a press conference by UBI held at Tocklai in Jorhat in Assam.

It would include introduction of low rate interest loans for the poor, unemployed youths, farmers, women, self-help groups, small scale industries and entrepreneurs among others.

The bank also handed over rupees 750 million loan to 8,673 Union Bank of India (UBI) account holders.The loans have benefited us a lot. The bank provided us loans based on the need of the customers. We are really satisfied,” said C. Saikia, one of the customers.

At present there are 252 Union Bank of India branches in the northeast region of the country. The bank is setting up 15 branches in different parts of Assam. Two branches each will also be set up in Manipur and Nagaland. By Pinaki Das / Vaschipem Kamodang (ANI)

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Pakistan’s rocket-shelling plunges market price of land beyond border

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chak Allah Bakhash (Punjab), Sept. 15 (ANI): The prices of farming land have plunged following past week’s rocket-shelling incident in the India-Pakistan border villages.

Local farmers say that it was already quite tough to find buyers for the land situated beyond fencing and the latest rocket-shelling incident has caused the prices to drop further.

Fenced from three sides, Village Chak Allah Bakhash at the International border has nearly 150 acres of land beyond fencing.

Balwinder Kaur, one of the natives in village Chak Allah Bakhash, said that it was already difficult for her to meet the daily expenditure.

Sucha Singh, another villager, said: “My family owns a piece of land across fencing and has been facing many difficulties while cultivating the land at the border. There are no takers for our land.”

Nearly 553 km long barbed fencing of the Punjab border along side Pakistan resulted in thousands of acres of land being left beyond fencing.

The price of the land spread before fencing line is nearly three times higher than the vast land spread beyond the fencing.

An acre of land, located before fencing, is available for approximately 600,000 to 10,00,000 rupees whereas more fertile land, located beyond the fencing, is worth about 200,000 to 300,000 rupees per acre.

Mandatory frisking by security men at the border gates of the fence and restricted working hours and few objections could be some of the reasons for a lesser price of land beyond fencing.

The farmers are worried that it would be difficult to find buyers for their lands. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)

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Coming soon: Harry Potter theme park

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sep 16 (ANI): Harry Potter fans can soon experience the thrills of the adventures of the hugely popular boy wizard, for a new theme park based on the hit franchise is set to open next year.

The theme park, called ‘The Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter’, is set to open in spring 2010 at Universal Studios, the Orlando resort has announced.he park is being developed in coordination with J.K. Rowling, the author of the immensely successful books, which have been adapted into films.

Recreating the fabled Hogwarts school that Potter and his friends attend, as well as the nearby village of Hogsmeade, the theme park promises a “completely immersive environment” for visitors.

“All of the action and adventures of Harry Potter’s world will come to life here at Universal Orlando Resort,” the Telegraph quoted Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks and Resorts, as saying.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be unlike any other experience on earth,” he added.

In fact, visitors at a replica of the Three Broomsticks, one of Hogsmeade’s popular pubs, will be treated to traditional British fare and have the chance to sip on Butterbeer – Potter’s tipple of choice.

The park will also feature theme rides, including the ‘Flight of the Hippogriff’, which will simulate a training flight on the magical, quick-to-offend creature.

Those who lobed the fast-paced wizard sport Quidditch, will also have a chance to participate in a simulated Triwizard Tournament, as well as examine Quidditch equipment and even the elusive Golden Snitch at several Hogsmeade shops.

“Harry Potter continues to spark the imaginations of fans of all ages and we really have seen the anticipation continue to build for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” said Brad Globe, president of Warner Bros. Consumer Products. (ANI)

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Declining CO2 levels helped in Antarctic formation 34 million years ago

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 14 (ANI): In a major research study, the link between declining carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the earth’s atmosphere and the formation of the Antarctic ice caps some 34 million years ago has been confirmed for the first time.

The research was carried out by a team of scientists from Cardiff, Bristol and Texas A and M universities, in a small East African village, where they extracted microfossils in samples of rocks which show the level of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere at the time of the formation of the ice-cap.

Geologists have long speculated that the formation of the Antarctic ice-cap was caused by a gradually diminishing natural greenhouse effect.

The study’s findings confirm that atmospheric CO2 declined during the Eocene – Oligocene climate transition and that the Antarctic ice sheet began to form when CO2 in the atmosphere reached a tipping point of around 760 parts per million (by volume).

According to Professor Paul Pearson from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, who led the mission to the remote East Africa village of Stakishari, “About 34 million years ago, the Earth experienced a mysterious cooling trend. Glaciers and small ice sheets developed in Antarctica, sea levels fell and temperate forests began to displace tropical-type vegetation in many areas.”

“The period, known to geologists as the Eocene – Oligocene transition, culminated in the rapid development of a continental-scale ice sheet on Antarctica, which has been there ever since,” he said.

“We therefore set out to establish whether there was a substantial decline in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels as the Antarctic ice sheet began to grow,” he added.

The team mapped large expanses of bush and wilderness and pieced together the underlying local rock formations using occasional outcrops of rocks and stream beds.

Eventually, they discovered sediments of the right age near a traditional African village called Stakishari.

By assembling a drilling rig and extracting hundreds of meters of samples from under the ground, they were able to obtain exactly the piece of Earth’s history they had been searching for.

According to co-author Dr Gavin Foster from the University of Bristol Earth Sciences Department, “By using the rather unique set of samples from Tanzania and a new analytical technique that I developed, we have, for the first time, been able to reconstruct the concentration of CO2 across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary – the time period about 34 million years ago when ice sheets first started to grow on Eastern Antarctica.” (ANI)

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Agra firecracker factory blast near claims two victims

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Nagla Gola Village (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 13(ANI): At least two people were killed and two others injured in a blast that rocked a firecracker factory at Nagla Gola village near Agra on Sunday.

Police officials said that the factory was legal and the blast might have taken place due to the some mishandling of the explosive and flammable materials.

“They were preparing firecrackers in the factory which is situated in the remote area…the blast took place because of mishandling of material. Two people were killed and other two were injured in the blast,” said R K Sonkar, Circle Officer of Ehtemadpur Police Station.

Meanwhile, police is conducting further investigations. (ANI)

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CPI-M leader Brinda Karat released on bail

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Sep 12 (ANI): Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat was released on bail on Saturday.

On Saturday morning, she was taken into custody along with some All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) activists at the Tirupuragundram police station when they were on their way to Uthaopuram village.

Police said that Karat and AIDWA activists were not permitted to hold a meeting in the village and when they tried to enter the village police had to stop and arrest them.

“The leader through her representation had already asked for holding a meeting in a sensitive village, but the permission was turned down citing reason for law and order situation,”

“But, in spite of that the concerned had tried to enter the village and during which she was stopped and arrested and taken to Tirupuragundram women police station. But, now she has been released on bail,” said Manoharan, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Madurai.

Karat was later released on bail, but she termed her arrest as illegal and said that she wasn’t visiting the village to cause any trouble.

“When I asked them (police authorities) the reason for my detention, they said they have got news that there are trouble makers in the village. So, I said who are these troublemakers. If there are troublemakers in the village you detain and arrest the troublemakers. Why are you arresting us? We are not going there to cause any trouble,” Brinda Karat said. (ANI)

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Militants killed three BSF jawans in Manipur

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Imphal, Sep 12 (ANI): Armed militants near Oksu village in Imphal district of Manipur killed three jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday.

According to sources, heavily armed militants belonging to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) opened indiscriminate fire on the BSF near Oksu village, 20 km east of Imphal.

According to Manipur police, the militants who were positioned on top of a hillock are reportedly fled with the weapons of the dead jawans. (ANI)

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Pak denies rocket fire near Wagah border

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lahore, Sep.12 (ANI): Pakistan has rejected India’s allegations of breaking the ceasefire between the two countries by denying reports of rockets being fired from its side towards India at the Wagah border.

The allegations from India and Pakistan’s denial came during the emergency meeting between the Pakistan Rangers and Border Security Forces (BSF),following reports of three rockets being fired from the other side of the border into Indian territory.

The Border Security Force (BSF) retaliated with machine gun fire following the rocket fire on Friday night.

Last night between 10 and 11 p.m., the BSF said that at least two rockets were fired into the Indian side of the Wagah border.

A third incident of shelling was reported from Ratankalan village two km. from Wagah border, the BSF confirmed.

According to reports, the three rockets, which were fired by Pakistan, fell in the border villages of Dhanoae Kachye and Modahe.

However, no causality was been reported.

Talking to ANI over the phone DIG BSF Jagir Singh confirmed that so far three rockets were fired from Pakistan side. (ANI)

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Deployment of women constables cheers farmers in Punjab’s border villages

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Rorawala (India-Pakistan Border), Sep.11 (ANI): As women constables of the Border Security Force (BSF) were deployed at the India-Pakistan International Border on Friday, a wave of cheer overwhelmed the villagers here.

Male farmers expressed their delight over the development, saying the presence of women security personnel would encourage their womenfolk to join them in the fields near the border.

The fencing of the 553-kilometer-long border since the 1990s; has created a feeling of reluctance among rural women to cross the border gates to work in fields or to deliver meals.

Most of them were hesitant in undergoing a frisking of their bodies, a security provision to check against the smuggling of unwanted material from across the border.

In such conditions, farmers were compelled to hire outside help on daily wages.

Hailing the step, farmers in the border area said their financial burden would be reduced with their women stepping in to assist them.

They also said that the deployment of women constables would enable them to access cheap labour.

Raj, a woman labourer, said: “I am very happy since it was difficult to get work in the village. We can now go to the fields beyond the fencing and earn much for our families.”

Balwinder Kaur of Rorawala village said that her family owned about ten acres of land beyond the fencing and some times it was difficult to cultivate it due to the shortage of labourers.

Now, with the presence of female security personnel, she said that she and other females of the family were ready to help in the cultivation process beyond the fenced wiring.

Joginder Singh, a farmer, said that he was now looking forward to the fresh meals brought to him by the womenfolk of his family.

Mohammad Aquil, DIG (Border Range) BSF, said the deployment of the lady BSF constables would be done in the state of Punjab within two months.

A senior BSF official said about 178 girls would be posted at the international border dividing India and Pakistan. At a later stage, 60 of these women constables would be deployed along the India-Bangladesh border

These women are aged between 19-25 and are fully trained in the use of weapons, patrolling and other combat tasks, they will be assigned non-combat duties along the fenced border.

Gurbir Kaur, a woman constable, said that the (soldiers)’ uniform always fascinated her. She said that being in uniform was a dream come true.

Raman Preet Kaur, another lady constable, said that apart from frisking, she was also trained to handle a security-related crisis at the border.

These women passed out of the BSF academy in Kharkan near the town of Hoshiarpur on July 25 this year. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)

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Noted Squash coach Satinder Bajwa trains poor children

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chandigarh, Sep.11 (ANI): Satinder Bajwa, an expatriate Punjabi, who is a squash coach, has set up an academy for the underprivileged children in Chandigarh to draw them to Squash.

These underprivileged children never thought about playing Squash. But, at the newly founded Squash Academy called ‘Mind, Body and Game – Connection’, they learn how to play it.

Satinder Bajwa, who has been the manager and mentor of eight times World Squash Champion Jansher Khan, has commenced this social business venture to promote the game here.

The Academy will nurture 30 children of ‘Khelshala’, a charitable trust, which serves underprivileged children through sports.

“Everybody wants to help his or her origins or the country that needs help. I am not a wealthy guy but I have something to give to kids in terms of a sport, so I thought how I give back to my country and I do a non-profit programme in the USA called Kids Squash and I thought may be its needed here in India and may be we can help kids through giving them something that they can use to help themselves,” said Satinder Bajwa, Founder of the MBG Ceonnection Academy in Chandigarh.

“You can give somebody money, money runs out but you give them something like this, may be if they are good at I, they can become very good, may be if they are good students, may be I can get them into some international university and few years down the roads, we might see some results which may enable people to help themselves,” said Bajwa.
He says the objective of the Squash Academy is to highlight that through exercise and play one can achieve a healthy body and mind for a fuller life experience.

The Academy will offer members a comprehensive set of world-class facilities including top of the line gym equipment and two squash courts, Bajwa adds.

Bajwa, who immigrated to the USA, is presently the chief coach of Squash at Harvard University. He felt the need to giver back to his homeland something valuable.

Many people in Punjab believe that Squash is a sport that has a future.

“The game is very nice. There is no age limit to play this game. Its very enjoyable and there are no chances of injuries,” said Manjit Singh, a trainee.

“We were little apprehensive in the first couple of days how may kids would be interested but we have had an amazing turnout and its been tones and tones of response from the kids and everyday more and more kids wanna come and play and its wonderful to see excitement and eagerness of all the kids ibn the village to come and play,” said Elizabeth Chaplin, a trainer in Massachusetts, US.

The MBG – Connection and Khelshala are a lifetime dream of Bajwa who also funded ‘kids squash’, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that promotes well-being through sports for children of all backgrounds.

Khelshala will also have an educational component as well as it will aim to leverage sports to help kids attain scholarships to private schools. By Sunil Sharma (ANI)

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MiG 21 crashes in Punjab, pilot killed

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bhaliana, Sep 10 (ANI): A MiG 21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Bhaliana village in Muktasar District of Punjab, killing a pilot Lt. Manu Akhotri on the spot on Thursday.

This is a seventh crash of a MiG aircraft this year.

Bhaliana is about 20 kilometers from Muktasar.

The aircraft was on a routine training exercise and had taken off from Bhatinda Air force station this morning.

Senior IAF officials have rushed to the spot to conduct investigations. (ANI)

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S. African athlete Semenya tries to gloss over gender controversy

September 10, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Johannesburg, Sep.9 (ANI): South African athlete Caster Semenya has completed her transformation from gender troubled sporting champion into national celebrity with a photo shoot in the country’s leading gossip magazine.

While the controversy rumbles on over whether the teenage runner is really male or female, her handlers have sought to end the debate with the aid of a costume change, make up and some studio lights.

With the front cover headline: “Wow, look at Caster now!” You magazine proudly boasts that it has turned her from “power girl” into “glamour girl” and apparently, “she loves it”.

Inside, the 800 m world champion – whose gender is being tested by the international athletics authorities – says the whole issue is a joke.

“It doesn’t upset me. God made me the way I am and I accept myself. I am who I am and I’m proud of myself,” The Sun quoted Semenya, as saying.

In the magazine, Semenya poses in skinny jeans, stilettos and a black and white evening dress.

News that the athlete would have to undergo testing was leaked before the 800m final at the world championships in Berlin, putting her under enormous pressure.

Following her victory, the ruling African National Congress seized upon her case to score political points, with left-wing firebrands such as Winnie Madikizela Mandela and ANC Youth League president Julius Malema accusing the athletics authorities of racism.

They have also sought to use Semenya to stir up populist feeling against what is seen as the right wing of the ANC, represented by Trevor Manuel, President Jacob Zuma’s planning chief.

Semenya received a heroine’s welcome in her home village in South Africa’s impoverished Limpopo province at the end of August, with VIPs and a 200-strong crowd singing a version of the Communist Party anthem, which included the lyrics: “My mother was a kitchen girl, my father was a garden boy, that’s why I’m a champion, that’s why I’m a champion.”

The cover shoot has reignited the debate in South Africa over the athlete’s appearance, with radio talk shows inundated with callers.

The 18-year-old has refused to be drawn on what she is going through at present, telling the magazine: “I don’t want to talk about the tests – I’m not even thinking about them.” (ANI)

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Orissa tribals adopt beekeeping business

September 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Koraput (Orrisa), Sep 8 (ANI): Tribals in Orissa’s Kaoraput district take to apiculture to earn a living. A non- governmental organization called ‘Sarvodaya Committee’ initiated the honey collection in 1955, aided by Orissa Khadi and Village industry board.

The beekeepers collect the honeybees and keep them in a box hive and wait for at least three months for the bees to produce honey.

“At first we catch the queen bee from the jungle and keep it in a safe place. Then all the other bees come searching for the queen bee and we catch them. This is how we collect the bees and keep them in a box hive,” Ugresan Guntha, a honey collector.

“The Koraput area is a cold region due to which the cultivation of the Italian bee known as Melifera Mexica is very profitable. The honey produced by the normal Indian bee is around fifteen kilograms of in a year but the honey produced by the Italian bee known as the Malifera Mexica is around 40-45 kilograms,” said Krushna Dalei, a beekeeper.

He also said that the months from December to April are very good season for the collection of honeybees.

The demand for the honey produced in these beekeeping fields is very high.

The beekeepers have to check the honeybees every ten days and look after their needs.

The five kinds of honey bee that are found in Orissa are called Rock bee, Apis bee, Apis Melipa, Apis Maila, and Apis Melifera, which is the most profitable. (ANI)

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NREGA transforming lives in rural Mizoram

September 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Aizwal, Sep.8 (ANI): By generating employment opportunities through infrastructure development projects, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has helped people in rural areas of Mizoram.

In Vairengte, located about 130 km from Aizawl, the state capital, many villagers are being employed in road construction projects.

They earn rupees 103 per day.

The roads help the farmers to sell their agricultural products.

The project is being implemented in three phases to cover all the eight districts of Mizoram.

Over 100,000 job cards have been sanctioned for the current financial year (2009-10) at a cost of around rupees 1.67 billion rupees.

“This scheme is beneficial for rural people because most of the people, about 70-80 per cent doesn’t have job in Industrial or Private or Government sectors. So, this kind of scheme is very helpful for them,” said Zomingthang, Superintendent under NREGA in Mizoram.

“After the coming of NREGA, we are getting jobs. We can earn our own day-to-day livings now. The project is also aiding in the development of our village. We are very happy,” said Joeph, a local resident.

Mizoram Government has sent proposals to the Centre for other developmental schemes related to agriculture, forest, water resources, land resources and rural roads that will help in increasing the productivity of assets and resources under NREGA.

Such developmental projects are hoped to improve the living conditions of people in Mizoram. By Pinaki Das (ANI)

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15 more Taliban extremists killed in Pak army offensive, drone strike

September 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Peshawar, Sep.8 (ANI): At least 15 more Taliban extremists were killed in Pakistan military’s counter insurgency operation and a drone attack in the Khyber and North Waziristan areas.

While 10 militants were killed in the Tirah valley during anti-militancy offensive, a US drone targeted an alleged militant hideout and a madrassa in Machikhel village in North Waziristan killing five persons on the spot besides injuring six others, The Daily Times reports

“The strike targetted a madrassa and an adjoining house in Machikhel village in North Waziristan. At least five people were killed and six others injured,” a senior security official said.

Local tribesmen have cordoned off area and are searching for bodies, sources said.

People have started leaving their homes amid the fresh military operation against the extremists in the region.

According to an estimate 30,000 people have left Khyber Agency for safer places since Sunday.

“Thousands have fled the military operation in Khyber. Around 30,000 people have arrived in Peshawar,” said Sahibzada Mohammad Anis, administrative chief in Peshawar. (ANI)

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Maoists kill five people in Jharkhand

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Ranchi, Sep 7 (ANI): At least five people have been killed by naxals at Pundigiri village, about 60 kms from Ranchi this morning.

According to police, activists of banned group Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) entered Pundigiri village in the Tamar block, abducted five villagers and took them to a forest where they were shot dead.

This is the second attack by the Maoists in the same area in the last 11 days.

On August 27, the Maoists had killed four villagers, including a girl, at Bundu, near Pundigiri village. (ANI)

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MiG 21 crashes in Punjab, pilot killed

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Orissa tribals adopt beekeeping business

NREGA transforming lives in rural Mizoram

15 more Taliban extremists killed in Pak army offensive, drone strike

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