ONGC says sorry to Assam

Guwahati, Sep 5 : The chairman-cum-managing director of petroleum giant Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has apologised to the people of Assam on behalf of the company for installation of a rig near Rang Ghar in Sivasagar district.

R.C. Sarma’s apology came during a meeting with Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers B.K. Handique in New Delhi yesterday.
Handique had invited ONGC officials to the capital for a discussion on Rang Ghar, the minister said over phone today.

“When I pointed out to Sarma the ongoing controversy over the issue, he admitted that it was a mistake on the part of the company and he apologised to the people of Assam for the same.”

The apology comes days after an ONGC delegation rushed to Guwahati and met chief minister Tarun Gogoi seeking the government’s help to restart operations in Sivasagar.

The company suffered huge losses when the All Tai Asom Students’ Union called a 100-hour ONGC bandh in Sivasagar.

The district burst into protest after ONGC marked a drilling site within a radius of 125 metres from Rang Ghar, Asia’s oldest amphitheatre, built during the Ahom era.

According to regulations of the Archaeological Survey of India, if any drilling or mining activity is to be carried out within a 300-metre radius of a monument protected by it, it must be approved by the archaeological organisation.

The ONGC said it had acquired the plot near Rang Ghar for drilling in 1984.

The Archaeological Survey of India declared it a national monument only on October 28, 2000.

An official press note issued by the chief minister’s office this evening said: “CMD R.C. Sarma apologised on behalf of the ONGC if the sentiments of the local people are hurt because of the incidents. He also admitted that it was a mistake on the part of the ONGC to start operations there.”

“Actually, the whole issue arose because of some misunderstanding on the part of local officials of the ONGC,” Handique said.

“I also took strong exception to the reported remark of some officials that the ONGC would suspend operations in Assam. But Sarma assured me that there was no such plan,” he added.

The ONGC will offer Rs 1 crore to the chief minister for flood relief, Handique said.

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Manipur Police surprises HPC(D)

Imphal, Sep 5 : The Hmar People’s Convention (D) in a statement expressed surprise over the intention of Senapati Police in taking up investigation of those who were apprehended by the Army at a check-post in Senapati’s Kotlien village despite the fact that SoO has already been signed, reports our CCPur correspondent.

The driver, handy-man and passengers were traveling by a van on August 27.

The apprehended individuals have nothing to do with the HPC (D), and the material seized from their possession were nothing but a book containing the revolutionary history of the Hmar people, said the outfit that also sought the opinion of the signatories that represented the State Government in this regard.

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Fake drafts racket: Police seek Interpol aid

Agartala, Sep 5 : The CBI is all set to seek help from the Interpol to apprehend 14 more accused persons including kingpin of the fake drafts racket that rattled the Tripura’s banking service about two years back.

Investigation so far revealed that, Kamal Hassan and his thirteen associates – all are citizens of Comilla district in Bangladesh, had distributed fake drafts to their Indian counterparts.
Interpol’s help is must if CBI wants to arrest the fourteen accused criminals staying in Bangladesh, sources said.

Though there is no extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was singed in Dhaka recently to nab criminals from both sides.

A four-member CBI team led by Inspector Sanjoy Sen arrived here on Wednesday to inquire the fake drafts scam. They started investigation on how the Union Bank of India passed fake drafts amounting to Rs. 1.80 crore in 2006. Altogether 59 persons were identified as accused in the fake draft rackets of Alraji Banking Corporation and out of them 14 are from Bangladeshi. As the scam’s root is extended to Bangladesh, the state police authorities have handed over the case to CBI on June 22.

CBI suspects that all the fake drafts were computer generated high-resolution copies of original drafts were sent to Indian racketeers from Bangladesh. Several banks in the state had received 161 fake drafts in 2006. CBI sleuths are likely to visit Sonamura, Kanchanpur, Udaipur and Kailashahar subdivision to collect inputs on the fake drafts scam.

On Monday police arrested two persons from Kailashahar subdivision for possessing fake drafts. Based on specific information, police swung into action and arrested Md. Ambar Ali (45) of Magurali and Md. Kuddus Ali (35) of Kailasahar on Monday.

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We will not spare militants: Tawnluia

Aizawl, Sep 5 : Mizoram Home Minister Tawnluia yesterday averred that the government will not spare militants trying to destroy the communal integrity and peace in the State.

The Home Minister talked about the militants who killed four Indian Reserve police personnel and injured three others in an ambush yesterday. The Indian Reserve police personnel were escorting salaries of Serlui B hydel project employees near Saipum under Kolasib district bordering Manipur and Assam when the incident took place. The militants started firing as the police refused to surrender.
Paying tributes to the slain police personnel at IR battalion headquarters at Mualvum, a tearful Tawnluia said, “We salute you for laying down your precious lives for the country. The people of Mizoram is proud of your heroic act.”

Tawnluia further said, “Let this incident give the people of Mizoram a new strength and stronger unity.” After the slain police personnel were accorded a full police honour at Mualvum, their mortal remains were sent to their respective homes.

The funeral was also attended by state DGP Lalrokhuma Pachuau, other police high officials and four MLAs and Home Commissioner C Ropianga. The Governor of Mizoram M M Lakhera has also expressed profound grief over the incident and conveyed heartfelt condolence to the families of the slain police personnel.

Manipur-based Hmar underground outfit is strongly suspected behind the ambush. A Manipur-based Hmar underground outfit is suspected to be behind the ambush that killed four Mizo police in Mizorams Kolasib district yesterday.

“The Hmar Peoples Convention(Democratic) or HPC(D) is suspected behind the ambush even though the outfit is yet to claim responsibility,” a police official told UNI here yesterday.

The number of deaths had earlier been reported as six which was later revised to three. “Even though we are yet to ascertain it, the HPC(D) is our prime suspect. There are no other underground outfits operating in the area,” Mizoram police AIG(I) Zorammawia said.

According to police, there were no casualties on the militants side though exchange of fire took place for several minutes. The Indian Reserve Police personnel were transporting salaries for Serlui B hydel project near Saipum under Kolasib district bordering Manipur and Assam when the incident took place. The ultras started firing as the police refused to surrender. Three Mizo policemen were killed in the firing.

The slain personnel were today accorded police funeral at the IR Mualvum headquarters. It was attended by Home Minister Tawnluia and DGP Lalrokhuma Pachuau. Tawnluia condemned such “brutal act that attempted to destroy peace and tranquility in Mizoram”.

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