February -
- Capital battles traffic woes
- Parl Committee meets senior officers, ACR terms it NEEPCO sponsored
- Committee demands welfare schemes for dam affected people
- Arunachal ready for population enumeration from Feb 9
- Foundation stone for Silsango laid
- Hunli-
Desali road work soon - MMHDWS celebrates silver jubilee
- Committee calls for CSR benefits
- KVK West Siang in service of the farmers
- Eco-
friendly Community based Rural Tourism - CWC stick to its stand
- Farmers’ Resource Centre at Tezu
Taba Ajum
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: In the last few days road renovation work being carried along NH 52(A) at Naharlagun town has crippled the whole traffic movement. With one side of road being closed specially during peak office hour, Naharlagun town has been witnessing heavy traffic jams. Usually it takes half an hour to reach Itanagar from Naharlagun town but ever since renovation work started, it takes around 2 hours.
It is surprising to see that there is no proper coordination between traffic police and department of highway to manage jams.
In this entire melee, it is ordinary citizens who are bearing brunt of this mess.
“ I am stuck in jam for 2 hours and don’t see any hope of reaching my home in next one hour. This is absolute terrorizing of citizens. We appreciate highway department for carrying out renovation work but there is no proper planning and this huge traffic jam tells that they did not do proper home work,” told one citizen over phone who was stuck in a jam at Papu Nallah.
He further added, “It is norms everywhere in the world that road repairing works are usually carried out during odd hour to avoid troubling motorists. But here department have blocked one side of road during broad day light and this is leading to huge jams. Sooner, they should find an alternative to avoid harassing road users.”
Citizens complained that even traffic police were not of any help. “I had to reach Itanagar at certain time to see a doctor. But because of jam I was getting late and sought help of a traffic police who was trying to manage the jam. Even he was clueless and blamed everything on highway department. There is lack of professionalism on part of traffic police and concerned department,” stated another citizen who too was stuck in jam.
When contacted Robin Hibu, DIG (Traffic), informed that soon he is calling an emergency
meeting with SP traffic, executive engineer highway along with traffic in-
“I have been getting lot of calls about traffic mess at Naharlagun and I empathize with the citizens. Tomorrow I am calling meeting in this regard and hope we will find a way out,” informed DIG Robin Hibu.
He also added that lack of interaction between traffic police and highway department is causing such trouble. “Often concerned department fails to inform traffic police at right time. They should give prior intimation to SP traffic, so that enough manpower is deployed on the road during such major road renovation work,” stated DIG Hibu.
Further DIG Hibu stated that to avoid such huge jam, road renovation work can be done at night time.
Residents of capital have to brace up themselves to face more such traffic jam in coming days.
“We understand that we have to cooperate with authorities. But whatever we have seen in last few days smack of utter unprofessionalism. Also in some stretch renovated roads have developed potholes. In this situation how can highway department expect cooperation from us,” said an angry citizen.
Indeed a big question to department of highway!
Parl Committee meets senior officers, ACR terms it NEEPCO sponsored
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: The Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes (STs)
and Scheduled Tribes( STs), Govt. of India, today held a meeting with the Chief
Secretary In-
The seven-
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Citizens Right’s while reacting to the visit of the ‘Parliamentary Committee on Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Castes’, said that it was an adrenalin shot of hope and aspiration for the local indigenous Scheduled Tribe people of the state, which unfortunately did not live upto its expectations.
The team is totally sponsored by and hosted by NEEPCO, ACR said. It said that though it met many delegations, the central team could not take out time for representatives of people from the NEEPCO project affected areas.
Japon Lowang, a member of Arunachal Citizen’s Rights (ACR) went to Banquet hall to attend the meeting but official supervising the meeting, asked him out and two other officials of the Social Welfare Department saying that the meeting was too confidential to be leaked out before the forthcoming Parliament Session, it said in a release.
The agenda of the program puts in doubt the very concept and objective of the visit
of the team for it very much resembles an agenda of VIPs on fun-
People of Arunachal has every right to interact and to know why is the committee has come and what is the agenda of discussion.
Committee demands welfare schemes for dam affected people
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: The Lichi Cher Ranganadi Project Affected Area Management Committee (LCRPAAMC) Upper Cher, Kimin has demanded immediate implementation of the various schemes for 450 MW Ranganadi Hydro Electric project (RHEP) downstream affected people.
In a memorandum to the visiting parliamentary committee on welfare of ST and SC, the Committee said that many domestic animals and paddy fields have been washed away by the flood water since the construction of RHEP in 2003. It demanded NEEPCO and other competent authorities compensate the families who lost their paddy fields and domestic animal. Demanding that MoU signed between the state Govt and NEEPCO on RHEP should be made public, the memorandum said the downstream people of the project had submitted a number of memorandum to the NEEPCO for solution to their grievances, but the corporation did not pay hid.
The Committee also demanded anti-
It further said that a high-
Arunachal ready for population enumeration from Feb 9
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: Arunachal Pradesh will join the rest of the country in conducting
population enumeration (Census-
House listing operation, the first phase of census, had already been conducted in the state during April and May last year. For the first time, information for preparation of the National Population Register was collected simultaneously during housing census.
However, the areas falling under the defense organization and special zone were not covered under the house listing operation in the state. Such areas will be covered by the enumerators being appointed by military census officer during the 2nd phase of Census operation, informed Arunachal Pradesh Census director Hage Batt today.
Addressing the media persons here, he said as per Census Act, 1948, the DCs of the respective district are empowered to function as principal census officer while the ADCs/SDOs/ EACs/COs and DSOs are notified as district census officer/additional district census officer/ and charge officer. The secretary of Economics and Statistics has been appointed as state nodal officer for overseeing the Census operation in the state, he added.
He further informed that the state has been divided into 6,019 normal enumeration blocks (EBs) and seven slum EBs for convenience of field operations during the Population enumeration. 17 deputy commissioners cum principal census officers, 21 district census officers (DCOs), 17 additional DCOs, 215 charge officers, 569 supervisors and 3,214 enumerators are being deployed for successful conduct of the enumeration, he said. Special care would be taken to ensure that no houseless population is left out during the 2nd phase of enumeration, Batt said adding the enumeration for houseless population will be conducted only on the night of February 28.
The Census director further said emphasis would also be given for coverage of physically challenged people in the state. With the approval of the NCPEDP, Athupopo Social Foundation, an NGO had already organized state level training for enumeration of the persons with disability in the state, he informed.
According to 2001 census, the persons with disability in India consist of 2.1 per cent of the total population, where as, it is 20 percent in Australia, 19.3 per cent in USA and 6.3 per cent in China.
Batt further informed that seven districts, namely, Tawang, West Kameng, East Kameng, Upper Siang, Dibang Valley, Lohit and Tirap have been identified as ‘gender critical’ districts on the basis of sex ratio as per 2001 census. He said special trainings have been imparted on gender sensitization in these seven districts.
Earlier, joint director of Census Operation under union ministry of home affairs Bharati Chanda said the population enumeration is not merely a head counting system. It is a total process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing and disseminating demographic, economic and social data of particular period of time. She further said, it provides grass root level information for formulating plans and development schemes.
Chanda calls for cooperation of all including media persons for successful census operation in the state.
Foundation stone for Silsango laid
YUPIA, Feb 7: Minister PWD and Urban Development Nabam Tuki laid the foundation stone of newly created circle headquarter at Silsango under Papum Pare District on Feb 4.
He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Papum Pare district and Head of Departments of the district.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister urged the people of the area to extend helping hand in establishment of newly created circle headquarter. He further stated that it is his priority to bring all round development to the doorstep of the people. He also announced that Silsango area will have road connectivity by the end of March2011, making Silsango approachable by road from Parang and Mengio.
He directed concerned PWD department to start the work. He also directed Deputy Commissioner PapumPare to put a proposal for creation of posts against Silsango circle headquarter.
The Minister later distributed Mosquito nets to the public of the area and advised them to maintain health and hygiene.
Chairperson, Zilla Parishad PapumPare District Nabam Aka who also spoke on the occasion, urged the people to utilize the Rural Development schemes judiciously.
Deputy Commissioner PapumPare District Pige Ligu urged the people of the area to extend helping hand to district administration and to maintain peace in the area. He also requested District Medical Officer, District Vetenerirary Officer to conduct medical camps and also check the spread of Foot and Mouth Diseases among the animals in the area. (DIPRO)
ROING, Feb 7: Time again, politicians have felt the heat of public anger for their
failure to restore the road connectivity between Desali town and Hunli Sub-
Now much to the delight of the locals here, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) source
has confirmed that the fund has been sanctioned for construction of Hunli-
The BRO is hopeful that it will complete the work by two-
Work in this road project began in early 1980. But even after three decade of work in this road, it became motorable only in 2001. The road connectivity snapped after the heavy monsoon shower of 2004. Since then, Desali town has remained cut off from the rest of the world.
The new road for Desali will pass through Hunli town. The earlier road was connected
through the BRO’s Roing-
MMHDWS celebrates silver jubilee
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: All Milli Mabak Hill Docha Welfare Society (AMMHDWS), Raga celebrated its silver jubilee on January 19 at government middle school Pel Milli, Raga in a befitting manner.
The programme was attended by Parliamentary Secretary for Cooperation, Health and Family Welfare Nido Pavitra and HoP, Subansiri Middle HEP,
Jindal Power Ltd attended the function as Chief Guest and Guest of Honour.
Speaking on the occasion, Pavitra advised the youths to shoulder the responsibility for the uplifliftment of the society. Responding to a four points memorandum, he assured to renovate the existing road to government middle school Pel Milli, construction of road from Pel Milli to ADC headquarter, Raga, construction of football ground at ME school Pel Milli and conversion of government ME school Pel Milli to Residential school.
Guest of Honour Radhakrishnan highlighted the benefits which were received by the local people from the Jindal Power Ltd.
Organising Chairman Tania Milli said that the natural boundaries of the society extended from Tamen BRTF Bridge to Poku stream and to Jugi Yorb. He further said that the society is also willing to donate a plot of community land to Subansiri Middle HEP, Jindal Power for establishment of its colony.
AMMHDWS President, Milli Taken, Vice President Ronam Milli and organizing Secretary Milli Tako also spoke on the occasion and expressed hope that the chief guest fulfills the assurances at the earliest possible time.
During the celebration, silver jubilee foundation stone was laid down by the Chief Guest at Tamen and besides cultural programmes the society felicitated many individuals of society in recognition of their achievement in different field.
Committee calls for CSR benefits
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: The RHEP Land Donor Committee (RLDC) of Lower Subansiri district has submitted a memorandum to the Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of ST and SC demanding permanent administrative office building at Possa. The committee said that the head of RHEP be directed to prepare a master plan for permanent colony and construction of administrative office building to the land provided by the people.
The villagers of Peni, Bilo, Pita-
Demanding 23 percent of job under A and B category and 100 per cent job under C and D category, the committee said that the services of land donor villagers who are working under ‘89 days service’ be regularized immediately and the land donors should be given utmost priority while awarding contract works.
There should be admission facilities for children of the land donors in the VKV compulsorily under the rehabilitation package, the memorandum said, while demanding early establishment of one polytechnic college at project area besides construction of school building, water supply, free electricity, a twenty bedded Hospital and sanitary facilities in the villages of land donors.
Other demands of the committee include construction of the CC Footpath from 41 km through Chumgge Yorn to Potin and Peni primary School at Peni village, renovation of Chang Ghar at Potin village.
KVK West Siang in service of the farmers
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: The KVK West Siang has been serving holistically for the development
of the farmers of the district since its inception. As a part of it, the farmers
are benefitted through different programmes like Frontline Demonstrations (FLDs)
and On-
Under the FLD on rabi pulses and oilseeds, 102 farmers and 30 farmers under FLD on
potato have been benefitted in West Siang district. As a routine monitoring and evaluation
programme, A. Kirankumar Singh, SMS (Agronomy) visited different farmers of different
villages where the crops are growing and interacted with the farmers regarding the
constraints faced by them during the cultivation of crops and suggested possible
remedial measures on Feb 4-
Singh apprised the farmers to take keen interest in growing different crops all the year round. He further told the farmers that every FLDs are possible with the able guidance of the Joint Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, A.P. Centre, Basar.
Eco-
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: Young Mission Adventure Club(YMAC) capital based NGO started its
2nd phase of Eco-
The programme was inaugurated by Nila Mohanan,Deputy Commissioner of the Lower Subansiri District as the Chief Guest along with the Additional Deputy Commissioner and District Tourism Officer. While briefing the participants in the programme ,she advised the participants to take serious interest in the training programme as the future of the state will depend on tourism industry because of the vast potentials for the promotion of tourism industry.
In the week long training programme, the resource person are imparting training
programme on Food and Beverage, Hospitality, Eco-
The project is sponsored by NABARD, regional office Itanagar Hong,Siibey and Biri with an objective of self employment generation.
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: Reiterating its demand for suspension of the engineers, the Chandranagar Welfare Committee (CWC) said that it is not leveling false allegation as stated by Er. T. K. Tara, EE (E) and the intention of the committee is not to defame anyone but to bring out the truth before the public.
The CWC in a release said that demands for information like work order copy, MB No., Cheque leaf through RTI were not furnished by the concerned department.
“We are dissatisfied with the response of the department”, it said adding even the disclosed information by the concerned department like DPR were false as per government rule.
The Committee members wanted to know under which scheme, the protection/ security
wall of the Chandranagar power sub-
Farmers Resource Centre at Tezu
TEZU, Feb 7: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Itanagar Regional Office has sanctioned a grant assistance of Rs. 6.22 lakh to Arunachal Pradesh Rural Bank for setting up of a Farmers’ Resource Centre at Tezu in Lohit District.
The Centre would help in training and capacity building of farmers for getting access to finance. The Centre would help in promotion of Joint Liability Groups and Self Help Groups so that ‘peer monitoring in Groups’ are treated as collateral substitutes. It will also educate the farmers on the formalities of Bank Finance and various norms prescribed by Reserve Bank of India and Government of India.
The Centre will work in close coordination with the District agencies of the State Government, NGOs and Panchayati Raj Institutions. The State Government is one of the share holders in APRB apart from State Bank of India and Government of India.
Aalo and her woes
(I)
Dear Editor,
It has been noticed that now a days the SBI customers at Aalo have to stand in long queue for more than two to three hours to reach the counter of bank or ATM for submission of papers, deposit, withdrawal etc. Most of the Bank customers are Govt. employees and hence either they have to avail one day leave or they have to leave their office, school with or without permission from the Head of Office to draw their salary from the bank/ATM counter. Over and above it has been noticed that there are nine windows/counter at present in the bank, but only few counter/windows are found to have been opened for the customers.
Apart from these, the existing SBI building(SB Type) was constructed more than forty years ago and no further extension or renovation for the better convenience of the customers is found to have been done by the bank authorities.
It is a matter of concern that there is no space to stand or sit inside the bank building especially for ladies & old person and toilet/urinal or drinking water facilities are not made available inside or in the adjacent area of the said bank. Customer care is completely ignored/neglected by them.
Likewise only one ATM counter is available at Aalo township, where long queue of
Civilian, Army personnel from early morning to late night can be seen for withdrawal
of money. It is not understood as to why entire transaction of civilian, army, para-
Chief Manager of the said bank is simply watching the crowd from the castle. Nothing is found to have been done to mitigate the present difficulties/problems being faced by the customers since long back.
It is the high time to open the eyes of bank authorities as well as local Govt. to solve the problems without further delay by constructing one more SBI and ATM preferably at Aalo Market area and bifurcate revenue deposit or salary bill of Civilian/army personnel to some other bank and also to renovate the existing bank building immediately to mitigate the untold difficulties of bank customers.
Yours,
Rama Krishnan,
(on email)
(II)
Dear Editor,
Since its establishment, Aalo lack when it comes to basic facilities.
There is only one SBI Branch in town where customers have to queue up to at least three hours for any kind of transaction.
Citizens have been waiting for up gradation of BSNL Network in town area, but it has not been working properly despite absence of other private services. Although, the people of district have returned or surrendered about 1000 BSNL SIM Card in BSNL Office, Aalo last month, but we are yet to get any response from authority concerned. It is time we invite other private companies to start their mobile service in our district.
The other burning need is proper road condition between Likabali to Aalo which is in deplorable condition.
These urgent needs should be raised by all concerned.
Yours,
Tonya Doke Lendo
Itanagar, (on email)
Hijacking of Centennial Celebration
Dear Editor,
Through your daily I would like to bring out my dismay at the way Pasighat centennial
celebration has pan out. When it was announced the people of Pasighat were excited
to celebrate as a landmark event. Repeated postponement and hijacking of the event
by non-
It is for the government to ensure the issue of chief guest be scheduled in advance before publishing the program and date of celebration. I won’t be surprised if another scam comes up following this celebration. As we all know the celebration budget will eventually blow up at the end due to repeated postponement.
Other issue that I am very much against is bringing celebrity at enormous cost. What is so special about them? Is it economically sound decision to rope in those people, when there is lots of infra structure in depilated state? I would rather spend that amount of money on good cause.
Is this ‘Arunachal syndrome’ as quoted by some media, to depend on others for every little need? When these kind of behaviour from our elected representative will stop. Other issue that was quite evident during this preparation of celebration was last minute window dressing of Pasighat town, this time when yours truly was there when it was first schedule to be held, the road works as last minute window dressing and disruption of local traffic was very annoying. It was so distasteful to see the road works done overnight had pot hole the next day.
Importance of the celebration should be given to the event and the mass participation not the chief guest or the other leaders. We as the people of Pasighat or state should rejoice this landmark event. It is now time for the people of Pasighat to speak up for itself what should be done on the auspicious occasion of centennial celebration. Wake up Pasighat you are now 100 years old, old enough to decide what should be done in your own milestone.
I appreciate the work of organising committee, whose works are visible all over the place with posters, banners, advertisement and publicity but at the end those works seems like waste of time and money. Whom to blame all this? People of Pasighat you figure out. Will republic day celebration be postponed if guest of honour from foreign dignitary is unavailable? In my view centennial celebration deserve better than this kind of treatment.
Yours,
Dr. Bojir Perme
Victoria, Australia,
(on email)
A conspiracy
Dear Editor,
The editorial "India's health"( 5 February) is nothing but a conspiracy to demean
India's achievement and progress. When we have succeeded in discovering water on
the moon, sensex is creating a sensation, IT is making a revolution in cities, malls-
Just like we successfully shunted out those wretched fellows from the public places
of New Delhi during Commonwealth Games, the press should also come forward in blacking
out those stories of infant mortality, death during child-
Don't you know that India is a nation of "ALL'S WELL"? So please don't impose your conscience upon us. Afterall we have to dance and make merry till the break of dawn unlike those philistine lot who remain awake throughout the night thinking pettily about their starved stomachs!
Yours,
Kajal Chatterjee
Kolkata, (on email)
Sexual abuse in schools
Dear Editor,
This is in reference to the letter on “Sexual harassment in schools” published on Feb 4. The concern of the writer is genuine and needs proper attention to tackle the problem. It may not be proper to blame the private schools only. The Govt. schools too are infested with such problems.
I recall an incidence of such shame full act by a teacher of a Govt. school sometimes in the year 1993/94 in one of the districts. Instead of booking the offender for the crime the DC hushed up the case. And also the victim student was a poor Nepali and daughter of a 4th grade staff in a Govt. department. The offender was rewarded with an immediate transfer from the district to his native place what he was hankering for.
This reveals the attitude of the law enforcing authorities towards such heinous crimes. The school authorities alone cannot contain such menace unless they are supported by all those who are concerned.
The incidence in the VKV obviously caused a great damage to its glorious history and therefore, they need to be more cautious to prevent such incidence in future. After all we expect much more selfless services from VKV to continue in Arunachal.
Yours,
Dipak Deb
Tinsukia, Assam,
(on email)
Good efforts
Dear Editor,
1 thank New Delhi based Friendship Forum of India for nomination of MLA Karya Bagang of 9th Chayang Tajo Assembly Constituency for prestigious North Eastern Golden Achiever Award for her outstanding works in public service. This is a recognisation of her efforts.
We also thank the state Government and Bagang for establishing a VKV school for girls with an intake capacity of 200 girls per academics session in the constituency. It would uplift the literacy rate as well as give an opportunity to the students belonging to the backwards areas and poor condition especially in the remote areas like Chayang Tajo.
We appreciate Bagang, for her efforts in education arena and it is hoped that under her leadership, Chayangtajo Assembly Constituency will flourish in all spheres.
Yours,
Tadung Yangfo
Itanagar, (on email)
********************************
All email and surface mails must be accompanied with contact numbers and full postal address. Do keep writing but please make sure that letters are short and to the point.
-
News Impact
Annual Cultural meet
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: Rajiv Gandhi government polytechnic is organizing annual cultural meet REILA (Recreation, information, entertainment, literary activity) from 9th to 12th February. Nyapin MLA Bamang Felix and Director higher & Technical study, Dr Joram Begi will be chief and guest of honour respectively during inaugural function.
Govt move lauded
ITANAGAR, Feb 7: Apatani Students Union (ASU) has welcomed the initiative taken by
new deputy commissioner Nila Mohanan to adopt zero tolerance against land encroachment
in the Ziro-
“In various government quarters’ the entrance, parking lot and even kitchen garden have been encroached by land grabbers. They have been violating allotment guidelines but we hope new DC will act sternly against all encroachers,” stated ASU in a press release.
8 houses gutted
KHONSA: Altogether 8 houses including the chief’s house of Chasa village, 20 Km from Khonsa were completely gutted in a devastating fire that broke out in the morning of Feb 3. A number of houses were also partially damaged. However, there has been no report of any loss of life. The actual cause of the fire accident is yet to be ascertained.
The district administration has distributed immediate relief materials to the victims.
EAC Wangjen, DFCSO Amit Bengia and DRRO visited Chasa village the next day to assess the extent of damage caused by the fire accident. (DIPRO)
K Namchoom passes away
Itanagar:Former Director School Education K Namchoom has passed away this evening at a Dibrugarh nursing home after a brief illness.
She leaves behind her husband Indrajeet Namchoom and their children. Details are being awaited.
Copyright © 2008, The Arunachal Times Publications Pvt. Ltd., Siang House, Sector
-
All rights reserved.
