The Northeast Notebook

The lure of TripuraFOR Tripura8217;s chief minister Manik Sarkar, attracting investors to a state that is seeing a rise in law and order pr...

The lure of Tripura
FOR Tripura8217;s chief minister Manik Sarkar, attracting investors to a state that is seeing a rise in law and order problems, has surprisingly not been too difficult.

A pushy Sarkar last week got at least six investors to sign MoUs with his government. This will bring in investments worth Rs 3,000 crore to Tripura in the next couple of years. The projects for which agreements were signed include a mini steel plant, and three gas-based power plants that would together generate over 880 MW of power.

Girls in residence
THE Assam Sarva Siksha Abhiyan Mission has announced establishment of a series of special residential schools for meritorious girl students, particularly from rural areas.

To be established on the lines of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, these special schools for girls are a part of the project announced by the government to open 450 such schools in the country this year. To begin with, one such school will be set up in each of the state8217;s 24 districts.

Sparing the hornbill
THE Nishyi tribals of Arunachal Pradesh will not hunt hornbills anymore. The Nishyi used the beaks of these birds as part of their traditional headgear.

But a programme initiated by the state forest department persuaded the tribal community to make artificial beaks instead. The hornbill is a highly endangered bird.

The Manipur kick off
MANIPURI sportspersons are getting used to winning medals at the national level. Last week Wangkheirakpam Tomba Singh, a midfielder with Salgaocar, won the All India Football Federation8217;s 8216;player of the year8217; award.

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Twenty-one-year-old Tomba, who was the chief architect of Salgaocar8217;s win in the Durand Cup and contributed in making his team finish as runners-up in the last National Football League, also takes pride in the fact that every major soccer team in the country today has at least one Manipuri player.

Assam goes without award
NOT even one Assamese has found mention in the list of civilian award winners announced by the government on Republic Day.

There were two winners from Meghalaya and Manipur8212;social worker Queenie Rynjah and educationist Hamlet Bareh from Meghalaya and Gurmayum Anita Devi and theatre personality H Kanhailal from Manipur.

The state government has come in for much criticism from the local media for not putting up strong cases for nomination to Padmashri and other civilian awards.