Tripura Durga Puja

Fresh bomb recovery mars puja spirit in Tripura
AGARTALA, Oct 5 – A fresh bomb scare gripped Agartala as personnel of National Security Guards (NSG) and State’s bomb squad on Sunday defused a live bomb with high explosive potential at a temple near Radhanagar in northern part of the capital town.

An electronic detonator, mobile set with SIM card, battery and high power explosive were also recovered. These seized materials could give vital clues in identifying the people behind the serial blasts.

According to police, the bomb, kept in a plastic bag, was found lying in a drain near the temple since Saturday night. Based on the information, a strong contingent of police along with a bomb squad and forensic experts rushed to the spot on Sunday morning . Two experts from NSG also rushed there.

“Personnel of NSG and bomb squad have jointly defused the bomb”, said KV Srijesh, Superintendent of Police, West Tripura district. “The recovered SIM card could lead to vital clues to the identity of culprits behind the serial blasts”, he said.

Investigation has been initiated to examine the ingredients used in making the bomb with high explosive potential, he said. Experts have found similarity in ingredients used in the other explosions in Agartala on October 1.

“But we have to conduct chemical tests to identify the ingredients used in making the bomb”, said an official of the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL).

The CID, investigating the serial blasts, could not make any headway so far. The sleuths are now checking all incoming and outgoing mobile calls prior to the serial blasts.

The outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) has strongly denied its link with the Wednesday’s serial blasts leaving at least 70 people injured. In a press release, it condemned the attack and demanded punishment of bringing all culprits.

Meanwhile, the recovery of the live bomb has cast a pall of gloom and uncertainty over Durga puja festivity. As in previous years, large number of Agartala residents have booked cars and auto rickshaws for night long sojourn in and around the capital town for pandal-hopping. But the bomb has cast a dark shadow over the festivity. source: assam tribune

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Home adviser alarmed at crime spiral

Staff Correspondent

The home ministry yesterday directed the law enforcement agencies to take 'toughest action' against criminals to improve law and order.

The directive followed a special meeting on law and order chaired by the home adviser.

"From tomorrow (today), toughest action will be taken against criminals and, if necessary, they will be lifted and detained," Home Adviser Maj General (retd) MA Matin told reporters.

The meeting was held at the home ministry in the wake of snatching of Tk 46 lakh by shooting an assistant manager of ACI group on Gulshan Link Road on Sunday and gunning down of a garments factory owner at Kakrail in the capital yesterday.

Besides, snatchers strangled two persons to death at Kafrul and Agargaon yesterday.

The home adviser said law and order marked an improvement after the caretaker government took over but now it is deteriorating.

Replying to a question, he said one of the reasons behind the rise in criminal activities might be that criminals are coming out of their hideouts ahead of the Eid, Durga Puja and upcoming elections.

He told another questioner that the law enforcement agencies have been equipped to tackle any situation when the state of emergency is relaxed.

“I don't think that law and order will deteriorate after relaxation of the Emergency Power Rules.”

Meeting sources said some 6,000 law enforcers, 4,000 of them police, have been deployed in the capital to ensure smooth celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja -- the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims and the Hindus.

The home adviser also asked the law enforcers to beef up security measures at bus and launch terminals and railway stations to ensure safety of home-bound people.

The meeting was attended by Home Secretary Abdul Karim, Additional Inspector General of Police NBK Tripura, DMP Commissioner Naim Ahmed, Special Branch chief Baharul Alam and Rab Additional Director General Col Gulzar Uddin Ahmed. source: The Daily Star

Tripura ONGC rapped

Agartala, June 29: The Tripura unit of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and the state government appeared to be on a collision course with industries minister Jiten Chowdhury launching a thinly-veiled attack on the corporation for its failure to increase the production of natural gas.

“The natural gas being produced in the state is not enough to meet the requirements for upcoming projects and new industries. We have approached the Centre to raise the investment, manpower and infrastructure for increased production,” said Chowdhury, on the concluding day of the budget session on Friday.

Replying to a call-attention motion, the minister said talks were on with the ONGC as the demand for natural gas had registered a steep rise.

He said at a high-level meeting held in 1997, the ONGC authorities had assured the government that the production of natural gas would rise from 4.5 million cubic metres to 8 million cubic metres daily by the end of the Tenth Five Year Plan in March 2007.

“But subsequently, the ONGC authorities had presented statistics showing a decrease in the production,” said Chowdhury.

The ONGC authorities had informed the state government in February last year that it was not even in a position to fully supply the 1.78 cubic metres of gas allotted by the Union petroleum ministry to different projects in Tripura.

The authorities also said they would be able to maintain the supply of 1.5 cubic metres of natural gas to the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL).

“Recently, the ONGC authorities have told us that by 2012-2013 they would be able to raise the production of natural gas to keep the ONGC’s Palatana thermal power project, Neepco’s Monarchak thermal project and the Rookhia and Barmura thermal plants well supplied,” said Chowdhury.

He told the House that at present, ONGC was carrying out explorations on 6,691 square km of land and GAIL is exploring 1,680 square km in collaboration with Jubilant Oil and Gas in the state.

“Unless the exploration ends on a successful note, the supply will not improve,” he added.
Chowdhury said the Union ministry of oil and natural gas generally determined the price of gas but in Tripura, ONGC had set four separate rates.

“We have brought this to the notice of the Union ministry of oil and natural gas and requested for a price revision, considering the socio-economic position of the northeastern states,” he said.
He added that the state government was awaiting a positive response from the Union ministry.

source: telegraph india

Tripura all-party team to visit Delhi for High Court

Tripura all-party team to visit Delhi for High Court

From Our Correspondent AGARTALA, May 10 – Alarmed at the spiralling number of pending cases in Tripura, the State Assembly today unanimously decided to send an all-party delegation to Delhi to push for setting up of a separate High Court in the State.Replying to a calling attention motion, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar informed the House that the State Government had been demanding for a full-fledged High Court for a long time.Sarkar said the State Government had also approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard explaining state’s need to have a High Court.He said that the government had already built a building for the High Court but the Central Government had not yet taken any positive step to set up the same.As of today, the number of pending cases in the State stands at 5,656, he said adding the State Government hopes the Union Government will take proper initiative to set up a full-fledged High Court.Opposition leader Ratan Lal Nath said there was an urgent need to send an all-party team to Delhi to pursue the legitimate demand. The Chief Minister readily accepted the proposal of the opposition leader.