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Hello Jammu News at 5:31:00 PM 0



Aizawl, Jun 13 :  Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Thursday presented a tax-free budget for 2019-20, laying emphasis on implementation of the Socio- Economic Development Policy (SEDP) and creation of three new districts.

Presenting the Rs 10,692.30 crore budget in Mizo language, Zoramthanga, who also holds the finance portfolio, allocated a token provision of Rs 750 crore for the SEDP.

The SEDP, a flagship programme of the Mizo National Front (MNF) government, aims at accelerating progress in key sectors and transforming Mizoram into a welfare state.

The chief minister allocated Rs 50 crore under the SEDP for recruitment of doctors and nurses in the health department to ease an acute manpower shortage.

Implementation of the MNF's 2008 announcement of the creation of Hnahthial, Khawzawl and Saitual districts was another top priority of his government, he said.

Zoramthanga said the Congress, during its 10-year-long rule, had not implemented the decision of the MNF government in 2008.

"I allocated Rs 450 lakh for construction of deputy commissioners' offices in the three districts and Rs 195 lakh each for construction of district superintendents of police offices," he said.

An additional Rs 855 lakh was allotted for the initial establishment expenses of the new districts, Zoramthanga said.

An amount of Rs 50 crore was allocated as a health care corpus fund for implementation of improved healthcare scheme as formulated by the MNF government earlier.

He also said Rs 30 crore was allocated for recruitment of teachers at the elementary education level to solve the shortage of manpower.

"Rs 159.34 crore was also allocated for establishment of Lok Ayukta which was increased this fiscal and I allocated Rs 371.06 crore for the expenses on the Lok Ayukta," he said.

He said the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was projected to be Rs 25,869.14 crore at current price at a growth rate of 16.15 per cent.

"The projected growth rate is considered remarkable as compared to the national growth rate of 12.33 per cent in 2018-19," Zoramthanga said.

The chief minister said the total liabilities (debt) of the state was estimated at Rs 8,447.92 crore which is 32.66 per cent of the projected GSDP.

The state government's targets would be privatisation, mechanisation and large-scale production to boost the economy, he told reporters after presenting the budget.

He added that the state government would make detailed project reports to avail huge financial assistance from the Centre under the SEDP.                                  [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 12:41:00 PM 0



Aizawl, Dec 13 (PTI) The Congress, which suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram, will review its performance in the just-concluded assembly polls at a meeting on January 18, a party leader said Thursday.

All party candidates will be asked to attend the brainstorming session that will deliberate on the reasons for the debacle of the Congress in the election to the 40-member House, Mizoram Congress spokesperson Lallianchhunga told PTI.

In the assembly election results declared Tuesday, the Congress managed to bag only five seats compared to the 34 it had won in the 2013 assembly polls.

It came a poor third behind the MNF, which won 26 seats and the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), which won eight seats and is a new entrant in the state poll scenario.

Liberal liquor policy, advent of the ZPM and anti-incumbency factor were believed to be reasons due to which the Congress government in the Christian-majority Mizoram, the party's last bastion in the northeastern region, fell.

Chief minister-designate Zoramthanga of the MNF Wednesday said the people might have rejected the Lal Thanhawla regime for its liberal policy towards liquor as against the expressed will of the churches.

He has already announced that his government would impose total prohibition.

Outgoing chief minister Thanhawla said his party's electoral setback might be due to the opening of liquor shops in the state in 2015, after a spell of prohibition for 20 years.

Though he stopped short of accusing the churches of campaigning against his government and the Congress, Thanhawla said, "Campaigning from the pulpit should be prohibited." 

The powerful Presbyterian Church had organised mass prayers in all member churches across the state twice in 2014 against repeal of the prohibition.

Total prohibition was imposed in this highly-literate state since February 20, 1997, by the then Congress government. However, it was lifted in early 2015 by enforcing the Mizoram Liquor Prohibition and Control Act, 2014.

Lallianchhunga said the ZPM harmed both his party and the MNF, but it eroded the vote bank of the Congress more than the MNF because of the anti-incumbency factor.

In the election held on November 28, the MNF garnered 37.6 per cent votes, while the Congress managed 30.2 per cent. ZPM nominees, contesting the polls as independents, bagged 22.9 per cent votes.

A strong anti-incumbency wave worked against the 10- year-old Congress regime, Zoramthanga further said.

Some quarters also cited another reason for the Congress' dismal performance -- resignation of the assembly speaker, home minister and two former ministers.

Thanhawla denied any serious internal fighting in the party but admitted that some people campaigned against Congress candidates due to denial of party tickets.

The Congress and the MNF have been in the driver's seat at different times since 1987 when Mizoram became a full-fledged state, but none has so far been able to form governments thrice in a row.

The MNF had also ruled the state for 10 years between 1998 to 2008, and was defeated by the Congress thereafter.

The BJP opened its account with a solitary seat in this Christian majority state. It won from a constituency in the minority Chakma dominated area in southernmost Mizoram bordering Bangladesh. It garnered eight per cent votes.


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Hello Jammu News at 5:11:00 PM 0

Aizawl, Oct 8: Members of the Bru community, currently lodged in six relief camps of Tripura, will be exercising their franchise in Mizoram when it goes to polls on November 28, a top state election department official said Monday.

The tenure of the 40-member Assembly expires on December 15.

"The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed officials in the state to make poll arrangements in Mizoram for displaced Bru families," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) SB Shashank told reporters here.

The ECI, however, was yet to issue detailed guidelines on the process that needs be followed to move Bru voters to Mizoram for the polling exercise, he said.

"Of the 11,232 Bru voters in Tripura - 8,777 are from Mamit district, along Mizoram-Bangladesh-Tripura border, 1,732 from Kolasib district of the state, along Assam border, and 723 from southern Mizoram's Lunglei district," the CEO said.

During the 2013 assembly elections, Bru members were able to cast votes from their respective relief camps. The following year, too, displaced voters had exercised their franchise for parliamentary election from Tripura.

An election department official said on the condition of anonymity that making adequate arrangements for Bru voters to cast votes in their respective polling stations would be a "herculean task".

He suggested establishing designated polling stations at a border town inside the state for the displaced people.

"Setting up designated polling stations at a border town, like Kanhmun, where Bru voters can exercise their franchise, might be the best bet," he added.

The voters' list in six Tripura relief camps were updated recently along with rest of the state amid protests by members of civil societies, who demanded that the process be undertaken after the final repatriation process.

Thousands of Bru refugees from Mizoram fled to Tripura after ethnic violence of 1997. The clashes broke out after a forest official was killed by Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) militants.

The Centre, in association with the governments of Mizoram and Tripura, had been trying to repatriate displaced Brus in phases.

The final repatriation process, however, fizzled out as only around 50 of 5,4007 families shifted to Mizoram between August and September.

Bru members have cited "unsatisfactory repatriation package" as reason for not returning to their home state. (PTI)

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Hello Jammu News at 4:20:00 PM 0

Aizawl, Sep 29: The Mizoram unit of the National People's Party (NPP) was formally launched here Saturday by its president Conrad Sangma who is also Meghalaya Chief Minister.

The NPP is a north eastern and tribal-centric party with objectives to ensure that the voice of the region is heard by Delhi, Sangma told.

The party will contest the coming elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly due later this year, he said.

"We will fight the elections without forging any pre-poll alliance with other political parties," he said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:46:00 PM 0

Aizawl, Sep 15: Over 1,000 non-tribal people have been arrested across Mizoram since Thursday for alleged violation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) rules, a senior police officer said.

The arrested people were living in the state either without valid Inner Line Permit (ILP) or abusing the permits, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police L Khiangte said on Saturday.

The arrested people have been lodged in separate police stations in the state.

The DIG said the crackdown on ILP violators was launched following the publication of final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, where about 40 lakh people were excluded from the list. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:10:00 PM 0


Aizawl, Sep 11 : The Centre has appealed to the Bru families housed in Tripura relief camps to return to Mizoram as assistances doled out to them would be withdrawn from October 1.

A meeting was held in Aizawl Monday between the state home department, police and the Centre, which was attended by leaders of the civil societies and representatives of the relief camps.

Ministry of Home Affairs' Joint Secretary (North East) Satyendra Garg said the Bru leaders in the relief camps would identify those who want to be repatriated and submit the names to the Centre and the Mizoram government.

The Bru refugees in the Tripura relief camps presently receive free ration and subsistence allowance of Rs 5 per day per person from the Centre.

The transportation cost for the repatriated families would be borne by the Mizoram government but no state government official would be deployed in the relief camps, as was done earlier, to oversee the process, a senior state home department official who attended the meeting said.

The meeting was convened in the backdrop of a tepid response to the ongoing repatriation process of the Bru refugees from August 25 to September 25 in which only three families returned to Mizoram so far, the official said.

The officials had earlier said that four families were repatriated since the process was kickstarted on August 25.

The official said that the meeting was attended by the state Principal Secretary for Home Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, top home department and police officials, president of the central committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), leaders of both Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) and Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Coordination Committee and also Elvis Chorkhy, chairman of the Equal Package Demand Committee, representing the Bru families already repatriated to Mizoram.

The state government withdrew the officials deployed ih the relief camps to undertake the physical repatriation process after four days of the commencement of the repatriation.

The Centre was earlier optimistic that the Bru families would return to Mizoram during the repatriation process after inking the agreement on July 3 between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, chief ministers of Mizoram and Tripura and Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) chief A Sawibunga in Delhi.

As per the agreement, all the Bru refugees were to be repatriated before September 30.

The agreement stipulated that Rs 4 lakh for each repatriated Bru family would be deposited to the bank account of the head of the family which would mature after three years and payment of Rs 1.5 lakh as housing assistance.

Each repatriated Bru family would be given Rs 5,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer every month and a free ration for two years.

Senior Ministry of Home Affairs officials said that the relief would be closed by first week of October and assistance doled out to the inmates will be discontinued forthwith.

Thousands of Brus had been lodged in the Tripura relief camps since late 1997 in the wake of a communal tension triggered by the brutal killing of Lalzawmliana, a forest guard, inside the Dampa Tiger Reserve on October 21, 1997 by Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) militants.

The first attempt to repatriate them from November 16, 2009 not only failed but triggered another wave of exodus after Bru militants gunned down a youth at Bungthuam village, three days before the commencement of the repatriation process.

Though some Bru families had already returned to Mizoram during a number of repatriation processes and on their own will, many of them continued to refuse to leave Tripura till date despite many attempts.PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 1:19:00 PM 0

Aizawl/Agartala Sep 3: With only four of the 5,407 Bru families returning to Mizoram since the final repatriation process began on August 25, the state government termed it a "futile exercise" and withdrew the officials sent to neighbouring Tripura to oversee the exercise.

The officials who were deployed in the six Bru relief camps of North Tripura district have already returned, Mizoram Additional Secretary for Home Lalbiakzama said Monday.

The repatriation process was scheduled to continue for a month till September 25.

"The state government is regarding it a futile exercise in view of the mood at the relief camps. We had to withdraw the officials as no Bru family returned since Tuesday (August 28)," Lalbiakzama said.

Between August 25 and 27, only four refugee families returned from the relief camps in Tripura. Thereafter, no Bru refugee showed any interest in heading back, he said.

In a November 2016 survey, 32,876 Brus belonging to 5,407 families were identified as bona fide residents of Mizoram, who could be repatriated. However, in a recent study, just 2,753 people belonging to 423 families expressed their willingness to return.

The Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), an organization that has been fighting for the rights of the community, signed an agreement with the Centre and Mizoram and Tripura governments in July to accept a repatriation package.

The agreement stipulated that Rs 4 lakh for each repatriated Bru family would be deposited in the bank account of the head of the family and Rs 1.5 lakh doled out as housing assistance.

Each repatriated Bru family would also be given Rs 5,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer every month and free ration for two years.

Senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs had said the relief camps would be closed down by the first week of October and assistance allotted for the inmates to be discontinued forthwith.

A section of the refugees, however, were not happy with the package offered to them and demanded more.

Mizo Bru Displaced People's Coordination Committee (MBDPCC), another organization of the refugees in Tripura, sought central security after their repatriation.

"The Brus fled Mizoram during ethnic clashes since 1997. We will now feel insecure on our return. We want central security, cluster villages and Area Development Council if we have to return," MBDPCC president Laldinliana maintained.

Thousands of Bru refugees from Mizoram fled to Tripura during an ethnic violence in 1997. The clashes broke out after a forest official was killed by Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) militants.

The Centre, in association with the governments of Mizoram and Tripura, was repatriating the displaced Brus in phases.

Though several Bru families have returned to Mizoram over the years, many refused to leave Tripura citing security reasons and inadequate package. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 1:51:00 PM 0

Aizawl, Jul 27: The Election Commission of India has accepted the suggestion of the Mizoram government that electoral roll revision for Bru community, lodged in the six relief camps in Tripura, would be conducted only after they return to Mizoram, a senior state official today said.

Principal Secretary of Home Department, Lalnunmawia Chuaungo said that the Election Commission had earlier instructed the state election department to undertake revision of voters' lists in the Bru relief camps which was objected by the state government.

The state government had suggested to the Commission that the revision of electoral rolls should be taken up after the Brus return to Mizoram from Tripura, Chuaungo said.

Civil societies have all along been objecting the conduct of revision of voters' lists and exercise of franchise by Bru displaced people in the relief camps outside the state.

He said that the repatriation of Brus lodged in the six relief camps is scheduled to commence from August 14 and would be completed by September 10 and preparations were in full swing in the three districts where the repatriated Brus were proposed to be resettled.

At least 32,876 Brus belonging to 5,407 families would be resettled in 48 villages in Mamit district, 10 villages in Kolasib district and four villages in Lunglei district.

The state government would go ahead with the road map for Bru repatriation approved by the Centre and following the agreement inked between the centre, Mizoram and Tripura state governments and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) apex body of the Bru refugees in the relief camps on July two, even if the inmates are not willing to return to Mizoram, he said.

The Centre had convened a meeting of chief ministers of Mizoram and Tripura on July two in which it was agreed that repatriation of all the 32,876 Brus belonging to 5,407 families lodged in the six relief camps should be completed by September 30.

The Centre would deposit Rs 4 lakh in the bank account of each repatriated family which could be withdrawn after three years and a housing assistance to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh would be disbursed to each family.

Each family would also be provided with monthly assistance of Rs 5,000 for two years and free ration for the same period.

Thousands of Brus are lodged in the Tripura relief camps since late 1997 in the wake of a communal tension triggered by the brutal murder of Lalzawmliana, a forest guard inside the Dampa Tiger Reserve on October 21, 1997 by Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) militants.

Though some Bru families had already returned to Mizoram during a number of repatriation processes and on their own will, many of them continued to refuse to leave Tripura till date despite many attempts. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:39:00 PM 0



Aizawl, Mar 20: The Mizoram government and the Hmar rebels will sign a memorandum of settlement in April, Home minister R Lalzirliana said at the ongoing Mizoram state legislative assembly. 
The agreement will bring an end to 28 years of the Hmar People's Convention Democrats armed conflict.
Several rounds of talks have been had between the Mizoram government and the Hmar outfit over the years. 
The Hmar ethnic group has been fighting for autonomy since 1994, a political agreement was made in the recently concluded talks in Aizawl on March 8, 2018.
“There are no reports of any presence of underground elements in Mizoram, what has been bothering us is the Hmar imbroglio, the state government has made every steps necessary to ensure the stalemate is resolved, the Mizoram government will sign a memorandum of settlement with the HPCD next month,” Mizoram home minister R Lalzirliana said.
The home minister also told the house that there were no anti-government underground elements within the boundary of Mizoram and that if it arises the government would leave no stone unturned in the propagation of peace in Mizoram.
The HPCD us an armed Hmar ethnic based outfit who took to arms in 1994, they were a breakaway faction of the HPC who signed peace agreement with the Mizoram government in 1994.
A two day long political talk between the rebel leaders and the Mizoram government was had last month, both the parties reached an agreement. Lalrinmawia Ralte, a political adviser to the chief minister, who headed the 10 member government delegation said both sides have unanimously agreed to sign Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) based on the framework of agreement made earlier.
An offshoot of the erstwhile Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) (now political party), which took up arms for autonomy roughly in 1989, the HPC(D) came as a fallout of dissatisfaction over the peace accord signed between the Congress led Mizoram government and HPC on July 27,1994.
Initially, the outfit had demanded the creation of Autonomous District Council (ADC) under sixth scheduled to the constitution of India by carving out area in Hmar dominated north Mizoram adjoining Manipur.
The peace parley which began on 10 August 2016 has culminated in an agreement, which in turn is likely to be end up with according more autonomy to the existing Sinlung Hills Development Council (SHDC), which came into existence as a result of the 1994 accord, against the larger aspiration of the Hmar people. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:35:00 PM 0


Aizawl, Mar 16: Young Mizo striker Lalremsiami has been selected to represent Indian women hockey's 18-member squad at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 
The Mizo striker was also a part of the Indian team which had recently toured South Korea. She started in all the matches India played during the tour and scored three goals.
The Indian team is grouped in Pool A along with Malaysia, England, South Africa and Wales - against whom they'll begin their campaign on April 5.
Born and brought up in Kolasib in Mizoram, Lalremsiami is a graduate from Mizoram’s elite Thenzawl Womens’ Hockey Training Centre. She played a vital role in India’s success at last years’ Asian Cup; she started every single game at the tournament and scored against Japan and Singapore.
Before making it to the senior level Lalremsiami shined at the 4th U18 Asia Cup for India in 2016, where she became a young talent spotted by the senior team selectors. She scored three goals in the tournament and established herself as the shining star of the younger generation of Indian hockey.
“After the Indian team's Korean Tour, I joined the Indian training camp at Bengaluru and luckily I have been selected to play for India in the upcoming Commonwealth Games,” Lalremsiami said. UNI 
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Hello Jammu News at 2:31:00 PM 0


Aizawl, Mar 16: Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla has been summoned to appear at Serchhip CJMS's court on March 28 on the alleged charges of issuing false affidavits before magistrates.
Lalhriatrenga Chhangte, deputy controller of mines at Indian Bureau of Mines, Kolkata accused Thanhawla of issuing false affidavits before magistrates while filing his nomination papers.
Chhangte alleged that though CM Lal Thanhawla owns a landed property at New Town in Kolkata, he failed to mention this in the affidavit while filing his nominations on 8th November, 2013.
The controversial issue of Lal Thanhawla withholding information regarding the ownership of property and his age in his affidavits came to light last November when Chhangte accused him of doing so in his social media post. 
Chhangte filed a complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) November last against the chief minister of Mizoram, the ECI instructed the complainant to lodge a compaint at Serchhip district, from where Lal Thanhawla was elected.
Langaihmawia Zote, Chief Judicial Magistrate at Serchhip District court, in reaction to the case, has filed a criminal complaint no 1/2018 U/S 190 r/w Section 200 of CrPC against the Chief Minister on January 17, 2018. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 5:06:00 PM 0


Aizawl, Dec 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurated a 60MW Tuirial hydel project during a public meeting at Assam Rifles ground in Aizawl Saturday.
The Prime Minister said the hydel project that would generate 250 million units of power per year will boost the socio-economic development of the state.
“With this Mizoram becomes the third power sufficient state in the Northeast region, after Sikkim and Tripura,” he said adding that the central government would aim to make Mizoram a major power exporter by tapping its power potential.
The project, built at a cost of Rs 1302 crore, took nearly two decades to complete since the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared it in July, 1998 with commissioning scheduled in July, 2006. After completion of about 30 per cent of the project activities, work was suspended in June, 2004, due to an agitation. With sustained efforts by NEEPCO and after getting support from the ministry of power and DoNER and the state government, the stalled work of the project resumed in January, 2011.
The Prime Minister said the project was first cleared by the Union Government of PM Vajpayee, way back in 1998 but got delayed. “The completion of this project is a reflection of our commitment to complete ongoing projects and usher in a new era of development in the North Eastern region,” the Prime Minister added.
The PM said that the development of Northeast had started under former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the current government has taken that vision ahead. “During the tenure of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee significant work was done for the development of the Northeast. We have taken forward this vision and are devoting resources for the progress of the Northeast. My ministerial colleagues are frequently visiting the Northeast,” he said.
Praising his cabinet, the Prime Minister said that there have been over 150 ministerial visits from the current government. “Our initiative - the Ministry of DoNER at your doorstep has added impetus to the development of the Northeast. It has enabled us to understand the aspirations of the Northeast even better,” he said.
This is Narendra Modi’s first visit to the state as the Prime Minister of India and he said that he was enthralled by the beauty of Mizoram. “I am delighted to be in Mizoram. This is my first visit here as PM but I have visited this state before that. I admire the beauty of Mizoram and friendly nature of the people of this state,” he added. After he addressed the public, the Prime Minister left for Meghalaya. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 5:57:00 PM 0


 

Aizawl, Nov 29: President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Aizawl this afternoon, in his 
maiden visit to Mizoram after assuming office.
From Lengpui Airport, the President was flown to Thuampui Helipad on the northern 
part of the city on Indian Air Force helicopter where he was received by the state Governor Lt Gen Nirbhay Sharma (rtd), Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and his Cabinet colleagues, and other top officials.
Later he met the Governor, the chief minister and the Council of Ministers. A cultural 
programme was organised for the President later in the evening.
The President is scheduled to visit PC Girls School in Aizawl on Thursday morning, 
before interacting with leaders of leading civil society organisations.
He will address a special state assembly at 1100 hours. UNI
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