(Photo of Miss Shillong 2011contestants. Picture courtesy: virthli.com, link at the bottom)

The competition consists of 5 rounds and 15 contestants are participating in the event.

(Photo of Miss Shillong 011 contestants with the judges. Pic courtesy: TheShillongTimes.com)

The judges are:
Miss Ampareen Lyngdoh, Minister for Urban Affairs,Government of Meghalaya,
Mr. V.K Nautyal ,Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Goverment of Meghalaya,
Mr. Mark Stone Laitflang, Managing Director, Group Avenues
Miss. Shankuntala Bora  of Guwahati University,
Sabina Warjri, Former Miss Shillong and hotelier  and
Susan Swer, Stylist Trendsetter.

Related:

• Interaction session for Miss Shillong contestants to boost up confidence – The Shillong Times
• Miss Shillong 2011 on Oct 8, Sarah Lee (Traite) to perform at the event - Virthli.com

According to the report received by Mizoram L.O. in Silchar, the looters, about 15 in number, armed with a country made gun, Dao, knieves and sticks decamped with over one lakh 20 thousand cash, 8 mobile phones, gold chains, ATM Cards and other articles belonging to the passengers.

FIR was submitted to Assam Police at Srikona Police Patrol Post with a request to investigate into the looting incident.

According to the statement of the victims, the incident happened in Silchar- Shillong road about 13 KM away form Silchar near Srikona Police Out-post. An empty 1109 Model truck following them from Bagha area was believed to be the truck used for blocking the road at Srikona area.

The miscreants looked like the people of Cachar District though all of them used Broken Hindi instead of Bengali.

As soon as the armed miscreants stopped the vehicle by blocking the road they surrounded the Sumo and pulled the driver Malsawmkima out of his seat. One of them asked the vehicle key and another person beat him on the back of his head.

The driver fell on the ground in unconcious condition. When he regained conciousness the looters had already vanished from the scene.

He could manage to drive the vehicle back to Mizoram House and proceeded to Guwahati this afternoon after getting first aid in the Hospital.

Source: ZONET.in

(Finance Minister Pu H. Liansailova speaking at Anthurium Festival Mizoram 2011. Two Girls clad in red attires standing by Photo)

Inaugurating the three-day festival, Horticulture Minister H Liansailova stated that besides increasing the inflow of tourists, this festival helped promote the Mizoram-grown Anthurium flowers outside Mizoram.

He said the fragrance of Mizoram’s Anthurium has now been felt in as far as Japan and Dubai, besides several big metros in India.

(Cheraw at Anthurium festival 2011)

” This festival also serves the purpose of bringing togetherness among the different tribes in Mizoram and promote their culture and at the same time attract domestic and foreign states to the beauty of Mizoram, ” Liansailova said.

Saying many farmers in Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Darjeeling had contributed a lot to their state economy through Anthurium cultivation, the minister highlighted that the Mizoram government had also taking all-out efforts to promote Anthurium cultivation among the farmers.

(Beautiful Mizo girls at Anthurium Festival Mizoram 2011 Picture)

State Tourism Minister S Hiato, who also spoke at the festival inauguration, said the festival haD been funded by the ministry of tourism with an aim to promote tourism industry in Mizoram.

This was the third consecutive year that the festival haD been observed.

Underlining that Mizoram has a huge potential in eco-tourism, the Minister stressed the need for Mizos to show hospitality and Mizo ethics to make tourists feel at home in the state.

” We have the potential to boost the state’s economy through tourism. It is up to us to tap this potential, ” he urged.

Nearly 500 families in Mizoram are engaged in Anthurium cultivation with financial assistance from the horticulture department. With over 300 families growing the flower, Aizawl district top all other districts in Anthurium cultivation.

Horticulture officials said owing to the state’s suitable geographical conditions, Mizoram’s Anthurium flowers are of high quality and are in great demand in other states of India and even abroad, besides the local market.

Decorated and medicated Anthurium flowers have been exported in huge numbers to countries like Japan, UAE, European countries through an agency called Zo Anthurium Growers Society (ZAGS) working for marketing and others improvement of anthurium farmers in Mizoram.

Besides this festival, ZAGS had organised Anthurium exhibition-cum-sale in various places of the state to promote farmers and selling the flowers at reasonable prices to the public.

Source: UNI – New Kerala.com

(File Photo of MNF President and former Chief Minister of Mizoram Pu Zoramthanga)

Addressing the Aizawl City Joint Block Workers Meet in Vanapa Hall today, Zoramthanga who is also the former chief minister of the state said the party leaders have asked forgiveness of God and the public for the shortcomings and mistakes committed during the MNF rule.

Referring to the corrective measures to be taken up by the MNF in the event of coming back to power Zoramthanga said ‘national core committee’ has been constituted to look into the entire affairs. The meeting was also addressed by the new party adviser Mr. Liansuama.

In a resolution the party blamed the Congress government for bad road condition in the State and passing the Mizoram Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2011and collecting road tax for 15 years at a time. Meanwhile, Mizoram unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly condemned that the government introduce Life time road tax (15 years). BJP Mizoram also condemned the Centre’s move of hiking the price of fuel.

Source: Newmai News Network

(Mizoram governor swearing in ceremony photo)

The swearing in ceremony of the Governor was attended by the Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, who accompanied the Governor designate from Kolkata.  Various Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries including high ranking officials of the Central and State Governments attended the swearing in ceremony.

His Excellency Vakkom B Purushothaman is a native of Kerela and was born at Vakkom on 12th April 1928 and has been a veteran Congress leader and an Advocate. He had been a Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1970, 1977, 1980,1982 and 2011 and was elected the Speaker of the Assembly on two occasions in 1982 and then again in 2011. During 1984 – 89 and 1989 – 91, he was a Lok Sabha MP and during this time he served as Chairman, Committee on Public Undertakings and Committee on Subordinate Legislation of Parliament besides being the Chairman Consultative Committee of Experts to the CIDP of Inter Parliamentary Union Geneva for five years.

His Excellency was appointed as Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobars Islands in March 1993 and held office for three years. He and his wife Dr Lily Purushothaman have two sons and a daughter.

Source: DIPR Mizoram website.

” The MZP has strongly condemned the Permanent Body’s decision to give OBC status to the Gorkhas. The MZP will fight to the end to ensure that this decision does not materialise,” the students’ body said in statement.

The MZP’s statement came after the Permanent Body, set up in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court, has taken a decision to this effect. The decision is yet to be sent to the higher authority in the Centre for finalisation.

Saying that the decision to give OBC status to Gorkhas could be detrimental to the social security of the Mizos, the MZP appealed to all NGOs and political parties to be up in arms against it.

The MZP planned to convene a meeting of all parties and NGOs soon to discuss the issue.

The Young Mizo Association is also very likely to oppose the same.

The permanent body’s decision was high on the agenda of central committee of the state’s most powerful organisation’s meeting today.

The two organisations, who had earlier voiced their objections to grant OBC status to Mizoram’s Gorkhas, feared that it would cause demographic invasion to the Mizos.

Source: UNI

Related:

• Mizo Gorkhas likely to get OBC status

The Permanent Body, under the chairmanship of R. Lalrinawma, who is also chairman of the state Law Commission, decided yesterday that the Gorkhas in Mizoram are given OBC status and the decision would be sent to the higher authority in the Centre.

Lalrinawma said the government wanted to ensure protection of the rights and privileges of the minorities under the provisions of the Constitution.

The Gorkhas have been making appeals for inclusion in the OBC list for those who were staying in Mizoram on or before January 26, 1950 and their descendants.

The decision was made after conducting thorough study on how many of the Gorkhas were enrolled in the voters’ lists, how were they accorded the OBC status in eight states where the Gorkhas lived and reservations given for government jobs.

Earlier, some NGOs including the Young Mizo Association objected to the proposal for inclusion of Gorkhas in the OBC list.

Source: PTI

Photo of Pachhunga University College students inspecting the Weaponry

Pachhunga University College students inspecting the Weaponry

A large number of students and NCC cadets witnessed the equipment and weapon display which is a part of series of motivational and educative measures launched by 26 Assam Rifles.

Source: DIPR Mizoram

(Photo of Shri DV Sadananda Gowda, Chief Minister of Karnataka)

Name: D.V. Sadananda Gowda
Date of birth: 18 March 1953 (age 58 in 2011)
Place of Birth: Mandekolu Village of Sullia Taluk, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka
Parents: Sri Venkappa Gowda and Smt. Kamala
Native: Devaragunda family of Mandekolu Village of Sullia Taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka

Political party: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Spouse: Mrs. Datty Sadananda
Child: One son.
Religion: Hinduism.

Educational Qualifications:

B.Sc from St. Philomena College, Puttur, Karnataka.
LL.B from Udupi Vaikunta Baliga College of Law, Udupi, Karnataka.

Affiliations:
District General Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP). An active member of ABVP since youth.

Congratulations to Shri Sadananda Gowda!

Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda official website: www.sadanandagowda.com