Centre bans Black Widow group

Continuing its crackdown on insurgent groups operating in the Northeast,the Centre on Thursday banned...

Continuing its crackdown on insurgent groups operating in the Northeast,the Centre on Thursday banned the dreaded Jewel Garlossa faction of Dima Halam Daogah DHD-J,also known as Black Widow,under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The decision to include the DHDJ in the list of terrorist organisations was taken at the Cabinet Committee on Security,sources said. The decision comes about a month after the security forces achieved major successes in neutralising the top leadership of the organisation,said to be responsible for a spate of violent attacks in the North Cachar Hills district of Assam in recent times.

Last month,the Assam Police arrested the groups top commander Jewel Garlossa in Bangalore. The groups deputy commander-in-chief Partha Warisa was also arrested from the city. Hours later,the police gunned down the organisations foreign secretary Frankie Dimasa in Guwahati.

The success against DHDJ was the result of determined action by the UPA at the Centre,which has decided to get tough with the militant groups in the Northeast. DHDJ will become the 36th entity in the list of the terrorist organisations banned by the Centre under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Presidents Rule in Jharkhand extended

NEW DELHI: The Government has decided to extend President8217;s Rule in Jharkhand for a further period of six months. A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet on Thursday based on the report of Governor Syed Sibtey Razi submitted to the Centre on June 16. President8217;s Rule was imposed in Jharkhand on January 19,2009 and its six-month period was set to expire on July 18.

Officers to face action for loss of tigers

NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Thursday cleared a new system of Project Tiger funding through a tripartite MoU between the Centre,states,and the Field Director of a tiger reserve. One of the five provisions of the MoU pertains to 30 obligations of the Field Director including day-to-day management,tiger protection,involving Panchayati Raj institutions and fund utilisation. If these duties are not followed or if there is a loss of tigers,penal action can be taken against the field director. ENS