REGION Briefs

Meghalaya’s first tribal chief held

Shillong, February 10 (PTI): A tribal chief was arrested for the first time in Meghalaya on the charge of aiding and providing shelter to some cadres of the banned Garo National Liberation Army in the Garo Hills area, police said today. T R Marak was arrested under Unlawful Activitites (Prevention) Act yesterday as the Centre had declared the group as a terrorist outfit last month. The arrest was made following seizure of documents and medicines from an abandoned camp of the outfit, police said.

Official of Arunchal art & culture dept absconds after misappropriation

Itanagar, February 10 (PTI): An officer of the Art and Culture Department of the Arunachal Pradesh government is absconding after allegedly forging the signature of the director and withdrawing Rs two crore from a treasury, while two others were arrested. Kurung Kumey district art & culture officer Oshon Borang allegedly forged the signature of the department's director Remo Kamki to prepare five sanction orders amounting to Rs 2.5 crore between November-December, 2011 and managed to withdraw Rs two crore from the Ziro treasury in the first week of January, Superintendent of Police, Capital Complex Hibu Tamang said here today. Following a complaint from the director, a case was registered at Naharlagun police station on February seven to probe the misappropriation and forgery case, while Borang absconded, Tamang said. Dhania Verma, a clerk and Hilarius Tirkey, who was running a computer institute in Naharlagun were arrested, he said. All police stations within the state and neighbouring states have been alerted to to apprehend Borang, the SP said.

Tax on ATF exempted in Meghalaya

Shillong, February 10 (PTI): Meghalaya government has exempted tax on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) To attract more flight operators in the state. "The exemption is aimed at attracting more aircraft operators to use the port and help make the Shillong Airport as a re-fuelling centre in the NE," Excise and Taxation Commissioner J Lyngdoh said. The exemption of tax on ATF would also make the airfare more competitive in the state, he said. Consructed in the mid 1960s and operational in mid 1970s, Shillong Airport at present accommodates only 50-seater ATR aircraft six days a week from Kolkata. Airport Authority of India officials said the airport expansion project was expected to be completed within this year and the runway expansion in six months. The length of the new runway would be 7,500 feet from the present 6,000 feet with a strength of PCN 54 (Pavement Classification Number) to take the load and speed of bigger aircraft such as Airbus 300, AAI officials said.

Phensedyl laden truck seized

Karimganj (Assam), February 10 (PTI): A truck loaded with Phensedyl cough syrup bottles was intercepted by the Central Revenue Intelligence in Assam's Cachar district, officials said today. Acting on specific input CRI branch of Silchar intercepted the truck loaded with 450 cartons of Phensedyl bottles after a chase at Gumrah-Jalalpur area, about 40 km from here, last night, revenue intelligence sources said. The illegally-loaded Phensedyl bottles in Guwahati were proceeding towards Agartala for being smuggled out to Bangladesh.