Port Blair, 30 April : Andaman and Nicobar Police today confirmed that the twenty five years old girl of United State of America, who was missing since Wednesday, was actually attacked by Crocodile.Lauren Elizabeth Failla of USA was missing from Neil Cove beach of Andaman’s Havelock Island since late afternoon of Wednesday. Elizabeth’s friend Ajit Singh Chadda, an US citizen had reported the incident to police on Wednesday. “We have recovered the underwater video camera of Elizabeth’s friend, which shows that the lady was attacked by a crocodile,” a senior Police officer told ‘Andaman Sheekha’, who does not want his name to be quoted. However even after more than 48 hour search the body of US tourists, could not be recovered from Andaman Sea. “We have however located the crocodile near the Light House of Havelock Island but could not locate the body yet.
The search operation is still on,” the police officer added. This incident has left the local population of Andaman Islands and the entire Andaman Tourism Industry shocked.
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India govt withdrawing paramilitary forces from North East
Agartala, 30 April : Indian government has begun withdrawing central paramilitary forces from the North-East for deployment in Maoist-hit areas, a top Tripura police official said today.The Centre is in the process of withdrawing six companies of CRPF from Tripura, Manipur and Assam for deployment in Maoist-hit areas, Director General of Police Pranay Sahaya said.
He said that due to shortage of the paramilitary forces, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned only 12 companies against the state's requirement of 30 companies, for the May three Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council elections.
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Congress leaders fast for honourable alliance with TMC
PTI, Kolkata, 30 April : Four district Congress chiefs began an indefinite fast this afternoon demanding an "honourable alliance" with the Trinamool Congress for the 30 May civic polls in the state, but withdrew it at night after being assured by the leadership that the party would not go for any undignified alliance with the Trinamool Congress.
"I sat with them for talks and told them that nothing will be done that will bring indignity to the party. The alliance will only be on honourable terms, otherwise there will be no alliance," WBPCC working president Pradip Bhattacharya told PTI.
PTI, Kolkata, 30 April : Four district Congress chiefs began an indefinite fast this afternoon demanding an "honourable alliance" with the Trinamool Congress for the 30 May civic polls in the state, but withdrew it at night after being assured by the leadership that the party would not go for any undignified alliance with the Trinamool Congress.
"I sat with them for talks and told them that nothing will be done that will bring indignity to the party. The alliance will only be on honourable terms, otherwise there will be no alliance," WBPCC working president Pradip Bhattacharya told PTI.
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Probe panel submits report on Silda's EFR camp attack
Kolkata, 30 April : An inquiry committee probing the Maoist attack at the Eastern Frontier Rifles camp at Silda in West Midnapore district which left 24 EFR jawans dead today submitted its report to the West Bengal government.
The three-member committee was set up to fix responsibility on lapses during the February 15 attack, its causes and also to suggest measures to prevent such incidents. The committee, headed by former home secretary and new Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen, submitted the report, which was later placed before Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Sen later told reporters that the detailed report containing about 12 or 13 recommendations were discussed with Bhattacharjee, who would review it in detail. Sen declined to divulge details of the report on the attack.
The inquiry committee was to ascertain how the EFR personnel could be provided with improved infrastructure and to look into intelligence inputs prior to the attack. န File photo : Reuters
Kolkata, 30 April : An inquiry committee probing the Maoist attack at the Eastern Frontier Rifles camp at Silda in West Midnapore district which left 24 EFR jawans dead today submitted its report to the West Bengal government.The three-member committee was set up to fix responsibility on lapses during the February 15 attack, its causes and also to suggest measures to prevent such incidents. The committee, headed by former home secretary and new Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen, submitted the report, which was later placed before Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Sen later told reporters that the detailed report containing about 12 or 13 recommendations were discussed with Bhattacharjee, who would review it in detail. Sen declined to divulge details of the report on the attack.
The inquiry committee was to ascertain how the EFR personnel could be provided with improved infrastructure and to look into intelligence inputs prior to the attack. န File photo : Reuters
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Govt apprises MPs from Naxal hit areas on dev schemes
PTI, New Delhi, 30 April : Government today apprised MPs belonging to 33 worst Naxal-affected districts about its strategy, especially development schemes, and sought their cooperation in the task to deal with the Naxalites.
Home Minister P Chidambaram and other top officials briefed the MPs about the gravity of the Naxal problem and steps being taken by government to deal with the menace. "Planning Commission had given a presentation to the MPs about development schemes. Focus is entirely on flagship programmes of Government of India as implemented in the districts," Union Home Secretary, Gopal K Pillai, told reporters after the nearly two-hour long meeting.
PTI, New Delhi, 30 April : Government today apprised MPs belonging to 33 worst Naxal-affected districts about its strategy, especially development schemes, and sought their cooperation in the task to deal with the Naxalites.
Home Minister P Chidambaram and other top officials briefed the MPs about the gravity of the Naxal problem and steps being taken by government to deal with the menace. "Planning Commission had given a presentation to the MPs about development schemes. Focus is entirely on flagship programmes of Government of India as implemented in the districts," Union Home Secretary, Gopal K Pillai, told reporters after the nearly two-hour long meeting.
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Top leader of United National Liberation Front arrested
PTI, Guwahati, 30 April : A top leader of a Manipur-based insurgent group was arrested here late tonight along with his associate, police sources said.
K H Tomba, Vice Chairman of United National Liberation Front, was apprehended along with his associate Abu Singh by a Special Investigation Team of Assam Police at Lakhra Patharquary locality at around 2245 hours, they said. Tomba is wanted in connection with a number of cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion, the sources said.
PTI, Guwahati, 30 April : A top leader of a Manipur-based insurgent group was arrested here late tonight along with his associate, police sources said.
K H Tomba, Vice Chairman of United National Liberation Front, was apprehended along with his associate Abu Singh by a Special Investigation Team of Assam Police at Lakhra Patharquary locality at around 2245 hours, they said. Tomba is wanted in connection with a number of cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion, the sources said.
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Kaziranga Nat'l Park boasts of world’s highest tiger density
Guwahati, 29 April : The famed Kaziranga National Park in Assam has the highest density of tigers in the world at 32 per 100 sq km, surpassing the Corbett National Park’s record, it was announced Thursday.
“I am proud to state that Kaziranga National Park has the highest density of tigers compared to any known tiger habitats in the world,” Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain told journalists quoting a report conducted over three months by a team of experts. The study was conducted by Aaranyak, a society for biodiversity conservation in the northeast, and the Assam Forest department, using the ‘camera trap’ method of tiger estimation.
Guwahati, 29 April : The famed Kaziranga National Park in Assam has the highest density of tigers in the world at 32 per 100 sq km, surpassing the Corbett National Park’s record, it was announced Thursday.“I am proud to state that Kaziranga National Park has the highest density of tigers compared to any known tiger habitats in the world,” Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain told journalists quoting a report conducted over three months by a team of experts. The study was conducted by Aaranyak, a society for biodiversity conservation in the northeast, and the Assam Forest department, using the ‘camera trap’ method of tiger estimation.
“The study carried between January and March 2009 covered an area of 144 sq km and revealed there are 32 tigers per 100 sq km area of the park,” the minister said. The 430 sq km park, 220 km east of Assam’s main city Guwahati, is home to the world’s largest concentration of the one-horned rhinoceros.As per the 2009 census report, 2,048 of the world’s estimated 3,000 one-horned rhinos lumber around the swamps and grasslands of Kaziranga, their concentration here ironically making the giant mammals a favourite target of poachers. “In all, 39 individual tigers, including a one-year-old cub, were photographed during the photo-trapping exercise, although using a scientific method called capture recapture, it is estimated there are 47 tigers in the study area of 144 sq km,” Hussain said.
Corbett National Park earlier held the record for the highest density of the big cats at 19.6 tigers per 100 sq km. The study was funded by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and the Rufford Small Grants Foundation, Britain. “Adequate conservation measures by dedicated team have helped Kaziranga achieve such a milestone,” the minister said.
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