Guwahati:

Two insurgent groups in Tripura have agreed to give up arms and join the mainstream in a historic peace agreement signed with the Centre and the state government. With the singing of this agreement, Tripura is left with no insurgent groups after many decades.

“Today is a historic day for us. The struggle that we saw for the last 35 years, today I’m glad these groups have put down weapons and are walking on the path to peace,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been working tirelessly to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed northeast, free from extremism, violence and conflict.

The two groups are the National Liberation Front of Tripura, and All Tripura Tiger Force.

Mr Shah said 328 members of the groups that have laid down arms will be integrated into society.

“We have invested Rs 2,500 crore for development of this region as well. We are not only signing peace agreements, but also implementing them on the ground,” the Home Minister said.

Tripura takes another step towards peace and prosperity with the signing of the agreement between the Government of India, Government of Tripura, National Liberation Front of Tripura, and All Tripura Tiger Force.
https://t.co/EZKhVM1vy1

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 4, 2024

“Under the leadership of PM Modi, the government has signed 12 important agreements to bring peace and prosperity in the northeast region, of which three relate to Tripura,” he said, adding 10,000 people have given up arms and joined the mainstream due to these agreements.

Pradyot Manikya Debburman, the founder of the Tipra Motha Party which is now an alliance parter of the BJP government in the state, also played a key role in the peace-building process in Tripura.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, and senior officials of the MHA and the state government attended the signing of the peace agreement.

Agartala:

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday said the unprecedented floods in the state have caused an estimated loss of Rs 15,000 crore, affecting infrastructure, agriculture, and other property.

At least 24 people died due to the floods since Monday while 1.28 lakh have taken shelters in 557 relief camps, officials said.

“The scale of devastation is immense, and the estimated loss could reach Rs 15,000 crore. This figure may increase after a final assessment of the actual damage,” Mr Saha said following an all-party meeting.

The chief minister said the floods have triggered 2,588 landslides and damaged 1,603 electric posts.

He noted that the all-party meeting was productive, with representatives from major political parties committing to work together during this critical time.

The parties have suggested that the state government request a central team to assess the damage and seek additional assistance. They also recommended increasing the financial aid for affected people, including those who lost their loved ones.

The government has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the bereaved families and Rs 2.5 lakh for those injured in the floods.

Mr Saha mentioned that restoration and relief efforts are in full swing and directed the food and civil supplies minister Sushanta Chowdhury to prevent price rise, reassuring the public that there is ample stock of food and fuel and that the government will monitor markets closely.

“The state has sufficient food and fuel stocks. There is no need to panic. The government will closely monitor the markets to avoid price rise during difficult times”, he said.

Mr Saha praised opposition parties for their cooperative approach during this challenging period.

BJP state chief spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for his handling of the situation and commended his decision to convene an all-party meeting to update political leaders on the government’s response.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Guwahati:

The flood situation in Tripura, which has been lashed by heavy rains over the last four days, remained grim on Thursday. Seven people, among them woman and children, died after being buried under a mudslide in South Tripura. The Indian Meteorological Department has retained its ‘Red alert’ for all eight districts, officials have said.

The Air Force has activated vital air assets to extend help & support to the flood stricken areas. More National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed.

Two C-130 and one AN-32 aircraft transported multiple NDRF teams and relief supplies to Agartala today to aid human assistance in disaster relief operations. Helicopters have been positioned to reach the affected areas and undertake further relief operations.

The water level of rivers in the state has remained significantly high — Gomati, South Tripura, Unakoti and West Tripura Districts have been severely affected.

In six districts — Dhalai, Khowai, South Tripura, West Tripura, North Tripura and Unakoti — rivers are flowing above the danger mark. The crop damage has been extensive in all eight districts.

Altogether, 450 relief camps have been opened by the district administration since August 19 to provide shelter to over 65,400 people in the state. The affected population has crossed the 17-lakh mark.

Landslides occurred in 2,032 locations, of which 1,789 have been cleared. Restoration work is going on in full swing. Erosion to roads occurred at 1,952 locations, of which 579 locations have been restored till date.  

All railway services from Agartala have been deferred.  All schools have been closed until further order.

Telecommunication has been severely disrupted in Gomati, South Tripura and other flood affected areas.

The Met Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall for today and tomorrow in many parts of the state. A red alert is in place for the whole state today and in four districts for tomorrow.

Agartala:

Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said that his party does not want ethnic violence similar to Manipur to erupt in Tripura and it wants equal justice for everyone and each community.

Mr Gogoi along with Lok Sabha Member and former Union Minister Tariq Anwar accompanied by other senior Congress leaders met Tripura Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu and discussed the ongoing violent incidents relating to Panchayat elections in the state and recent ethnic violence in Ganda Twisa in the state’s Dhalai district.

He said that the Congress wanted justice for the youth who was killed and for those people, whose houses, shops, and properties were either set ablaze or damaged in the recent ethnic violence in Ganda Twisa.

Large-scale arson, attacks, and looting took place in Ganda Twisa on July 12 after the death of a tribal college student Parameshwar Reang, who succumbed to his injuries after being assaulted on July 7.

According to officials, over 40 houses, 30 shops, and many vehicles were either burnt or severely damaged by the attackers in Ganda Twisa situated 130 km southeast of Agartala.

Over 300 villagers took shelter in special camps after the violence. The Tripura government announced Rs 1.60 crore compensation for the 166 affected families.

Mr Gogoi, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Assam’s Jorhat Parliamentary constituency, claimed that the law and order situation has collapsed in Tripura, democracy and the Constitution are now under threat and people are not getting due justice from the authority.

“Our party leaders in Tripura from time to time inform the police authority about the violence in Ganda Twisa and violent incidents relating to the upcoming Panchayat elections, but the government is not taking any steps and actions against the perpetrators,” he said.

Demanding the Governor’s intervention, the Congress leader said, “Our party candidates are not being allowed to submit nominations in a large number of seats, therefore there is no guarantee that the voters can reach polling booths on the day of polling on August 8…”

He said that the “entire world is watching how many incidents of violence are taking place in Tripura ahead of the panchayat elections”.

Tariq Anwar, who is a member of the Congress Working Committee, said that the panchayat poll on August 8 “should be held in a free, fair and transparent manner allowing all parties to participate in the entire electoral process”.

Earlier in the day, the Tripura High Court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct free and fair three-tier Gram Panchayats elections on August 8.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Justice Arindam Lodh and Justice Sabyasachi Datta Purkayastha asked the SEC to hold the panchayat elections freely, fairly and transparently.

The High Court passed the order after the opposition Congress and the CPI-M filed separate petitions before the court seeking its directions to the SEC to conduct the Gram Panchayats elections freely and fairly after a large number of violent incidents took place across the state while the candidates of the opposition parties tried to submit their nomination papers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A large quantity of mortar shells believed to be from the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, which led to the liberation of Bangladesh, was discovered while excavating a fish pond in West Tripura district’s Rangutia on Thursday. The discovery has caused a stir in the entire area.

Initially, it was unclear whether the shells were from cannons or mortars; later, it was confirmed they were mortar shells.

On getting information, a police team and TSR personnel from the Bamuthia outpost arrived to continue the excavation. A total of 27 mortar shells were recovered.

Anthony Jamatia, the officer-in-charge of the Bamuthia outpost, said 27 mortar shells were found buried at Dulal Nam’s house in Rangutia while digging a fish pond. The shells had been fused together and were estimated to have been buried for approximately 53 years. However, no information has been found regarding the country of origin or the manufacturer of these shells.

Local senior citizens claim that during the 1971 war, the Mukti Bahini frequently travelled and trained in the Bamuthia area. It is believed that the Mukti Bahini might have buried the mortar shells in this location, but later did not need to retrieve them.

The Indian Army’s 4, 33 and 2 Corps had marched toward Bangladesh from three directions. The objective was to capture the “fortress cities” built by Pakistani troops and move through the gaps to take on Dhaka. The fall of Sylhet, Chittagong, Tangail, Khulna, Jessore, etc. ensured no escape route was left.

Dhaka is between the Padma River on its west and Meghna on its east. The Indian Army’s 2 and 33 Corps quickly marched deep into Bangladesh in districts west of the Jamna-Padma river. The Tezpur-based 4 corps started operations to cross the Meghna and finally enter Dhaka.

Agartala:

Tripura government on Wednesday said that 1790 persons were infected by HIV/AIDS with a positivity rate of 0.92 per cent during 2023-24.

The officials said as part of the National AIDS Control Programme, the government has taken a series of measures to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state.

Tripura State AIDS Control Society Project Director Samarpita Dutta said that in 2022-23, sixty seven people including two students died and in 2023-24, forty four people died after being infected by HIV/AIDS.

During 2022-23, new HIV/AIDS infection was detected among 1847 people with a positivity rate of infection was 0.89 per cent.

Dutta said that the National AIDS Control Programme has been implemented in Tripura since April, 1999.

Between April 2007 and May 2024, 828 students registered as PLHIV (People Living With HIV/AIDS) and 47 of them died during the period of 17 years.

“Tripura State AIDS Control Society has taken all initiatives to control the menace as per specific guidelines and action plan designed by National AIDS Control Organization,” Dutta told the media.

She said that 828 students registered over the last many years in ART centres are all getting free Anti Retroviral Treatment as per NACO guidelines.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who himself is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and served in a key position at a medical college here before becoming Chief Minister, said that the state government has taken various measures to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the state.

“It has come to our notice that some recent media reports have led to misgivings on the number of infected students and fatalities. It has been clarified by the department concerned that a total of 828 students in Tripura have tested HIV positive and 47 have lost lives over a period of 17 years (from April, 2007 to May, 2024).

“All affected students have received or have been receiving free Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) as per the NACO guidelines,” Saha, who also holds the Health and Family Welfare portfolio, said in a post on the X.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Agartala:

In a significant milestone, doctors have successfully transplanted a kidney on a 20-year-old man at the Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital in Tripura.

After the six-and-a-half-hour long surgery at the hospital, Medical Superintendent Sankar Chakraborty said that a team of doctors have successfully transplanted a kidney from Munna Saha Sutradhar to her son, Subham Sutradhar.

“We recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Manipur’s Shija hospital. With their mentorship, the kidney transplantation was done successfully,” the Medical Superintendent told the media.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, who himself is an oral and maxillo-facial surgeon and served in a key position at the Tripura Medical College and B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Teaching Hospital, another society-run medical college in Agartala, personally supervises the MoU related and other process to transplant the kidney.

Mr Chakraborty said that there are many legal aspects related to such a surgery and transplantation.

“We completed all required procedures step-by-step. The most important thing is that it has to be done under someone or some hospital’s mentorship. So, we started looking for a mentor in the northeast region and selected Shija Hospitals and Research Institute in Manipur. They agreed to help us on technical grounds,” he added.

He said that the patient along with his parents met Chief Minister Saha during “Mukhyamantri Samipesu” (Chief Minister’s weekly meeting with the public) a few weeks ago after which the doctors were asked to adopt required steps.

Gulliver Potsangbam, a nephrologist from Shija Hospitals in Imphal, who led the 13-member surgical team, said that the hospital has completed 114 kidney transplants till now.

Appreciating the doctors’ feat, Chief Minister Saha in his post on X said: “Today’s achievement will be marked as a milestone in the state’s medical services. It’s something that seemed impossible just a few days ago.”

“As a result of the state government’s continuous efforts to improve healthcare services, today, a critical surgery like a kidney transplant has become possible in the state. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the medical team and other health staff involved in this surgery. I also wish for the speedy recovery of both the kidney donor and recipient,” the Chief Minister added.

Today’s achievement will be marked as a milestone in the state’s medical services. It’s something that seemed impossible just a few days ago.

As a result of the state government’s continuous efforts to improve healthcare services, today, a critical surgery like a Kidney… pic.twitter.com/H96HHBiO4h

— Prof.(Dr.) Manik Saha (@DrManikSaha2) July 8, 2024

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Agartala:

At least 30 girl students fell ill after having a meal at a hostel run by an NGO in West Tripura district on Thursday, an official said.

The state government ordered an inquiry into the suspected food poisoning of girl students of Bodhjung Higher Secondary School and Maharani Tulsibati School, West Tripura District Magistrate Vishal Kumar told reporters.

The girl students of the two government schools resided in the NGO-hostel in Indranagar area and had the meal before going to their respective institutions.

“Two girls first complained of stomach pain and soon, more students reported the same issue. The students were taken to GBP Hospital,” he said.

“Food samples were collected from the hostel for scrutiny. We will take appropriate steps if anything adverse is found in the food served to the girl students by the hostel authorities. The condition of the students is stated to be stable,” he said.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, who visited the students at the hospital, said it appeared to be a case of food poisoning.

“The students are stable… the government has ordered an inquiry into the incident for taking necessary steps,” the CM added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Guwahati/Agartala:

Several northeastern states, including Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and Assam (southern part), remained cut off from the rest of the country by rail as railway tracks were waterlogged and damaged after landslides triggered by incessant rain in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, officials said on Wednesday.

A Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said that railway tracks were inundated due to heavy rains or damaged in at least ten places in the New Haflong-Bandarkhal section under the Lumding division in southern Assam’s Dima Hasao district, which is a connecting route to south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram.

“Our engineers and workers are working round-the-clock to restore rail services but heavy rain and adverse weather conditions badly affected the restoration work,” the NFR official told IANS.

He said that full-fledged work could not be started until the rain stopped.

The NFR had cancelled a large number of express, passenger and goods trains bound for south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram since Tuesday.

According to the NFR official, passenger and goods train services have been affected in the region since April 25 owing to heavy landslides causing damage to railway tracks in the Jatinga Lumpur-New Harangajao section under the Lumding division after heavy rains lashed the mountainous Dima Hasao district.

Considering the damaged railway tracks and weak soil in the region, the NFR recently operated a limited number of trains in the daytime on the hilly route, besides regulating long-distance and express trains. The disruptions in services caused a major shortage of transport fuel — petrol and diesel — and other essential goods in southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur. Due to the heavy rain and landslides, highway connectivity was also affected in these states, which are heavily dependent on fuel, essential items, food grains and other commodities from the outside.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Guwahati/Agartala:

Ahead of the approaching severe cyclonic storm “Remal”, disaster management authorities and security forces in various northeastern states have been placed on high alert and the district administrations asked to take advance precautionary steps.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast, Cyclone Remal has made landfall between Sagar Island along West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh, intensifying into a severe cyclone. A maximum sustained wind speed of 110-120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph, prevails around the cyclone centre.

Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram governments have issued separate advisories and asked the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Forces, district administrations and other departments to maintain maximum vigilance.

The Assam government has taken measures to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said the IMD has warned of extremely heavy rainfall over Assam along with other northeastern states on May 27 and 28.

An Orange alert has been issued for Dhubri, South Salmara, Bongaigaon, Bajali, Tamulpur, Barpeta, Nalbari, Morigaon, Nagaon, Hojai, and West Karbi Anglong districts and Red Alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Chirang, Goalpara, Baksa, Dima Hasao, Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts, an ASDMA statement said.

The Tripura government has closed all educational institutions including universities on May 27 and 28.

The state’s Revenue Secretary Brijesh Pandey said in view of Remal’s impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, all kinds of flight operations in the Kolkata-Agartala route were suspended till 9 a.m. on Monday.

Flight services on other routes — Agartala-Guwahati, Agartala-Delhi, and Agartala-Bengaluru — are operating normally.

The first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal in this pre-monsoon season, it has been named “Remal” (or sand in Arabic), according to a system of naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean region.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)