IT Correspondent
Geneva, July 05:

Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the  Geneva-based global media safety and rights body, has demanded adequate punishment to perpetrators who were involved in the murder of Pakistani journalist Iftikhar Ahmed on Saturday last. Iftikhar becomes the 74th media worker to be killed this year, whereas  globally  79 media persons lost their lives to assailants in the entire year of 2021.
Associated with Pakistan’s influential Express Media Group for many years, the talented journalist was shot dead in his own Shabqadar locality of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on 2 July 2022. Pakistan has already lost three media workers namely Hasnain Shah, Murtaza Shar and Athar Mateen to assailants. It has now an equal number of media casualties with neighboring India which witnessed the killing of Rohit Kumar Biswal,  Sudhir Saini, Juned Khan Pathan and Subhash Kumar Mahato.
“We are appalled by the large number of journalists killed this year which is 100% compared to 36 deaths in the same period last year. The war in Ukraine and the rampant criminality in Mexico are the main reasons for this alarming deterioration. All these crimes must be fully investigated with no impunity to the culprits,” said Blaise Lempen, president of PEC (www.pressemblem.ch).
In Ukraine, the conflict triggered by Russia has claimed  30 victims among media workers, 16 in the line of duty and 14 journalists killed in fighting as soldiers or volunteers in the army. Mexico witnessed 13 media victims so far which exceeds the total figure for 2021 (10 killed). Haiti and Yemen lost 3 journalists each. PEC recorded 2 victims in Bangladesh, Brazil, Honduras, Israel/Palestine and the Philippines, and 1 victim in Myanmar, Turkey, Chad, Chile, Guatemala, Kazakhstan and the United States.
PEC’s south Asia representative Nava Thakuria informs that Bangladesh lost Mohiuddin Sarker Nayeem and Abdul Bari, while Myanmar witnessed the death of Pu Tui Dim in military atrocities. The entire region continues to be hazardous for working journalists, where the scribes are being targeted with impunity. Besides the killings, more journalists have been facing legal and illegal atrocities from the State and non-State actors, he added.

IT Correspondent
Guwahati, Feb 4:

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has started a final location survey of the 111 km Imphal-Moreh section for construction of a new broad gauge railway line intending to link India with the neighbouring Myanmar, NFR General Manager Anshul Gupta said.
The NFR General Manager, while talking with the media, said that the final location survey up to Moreh along India-Myanmar border is expected to be completed by July or August this year, following which the budget estimate would be finalised.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, after visiting Manipur last month, accorded sanction for the final location survey of the 111 km Imphal-Moreh section.
The commercial capital of Manipur and India’s gateway to South-East Asia, Moreh is a rapidly developing trade point in India on the border with Myanmar, with the city of Tamu on the other side of the border. The India-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Moreh connects India to Kalewa in Myanmar’s Sagaing Division.
According to the other railway officials, the proposed new broad gauge railway line, once constructed, would be of strategic importance and form an important part of the proposed Trans-Asian Railway which would connect India with South East Asia on a rail network.
The NFR is now implementing the Rs 14,320 crore broad gauge railway project to connect the Manipur capital Imphal by 2024.
After the completion of the vital 111 km railway line from Jiribam, along the Manipur-Assam border to Imphal by 2024, Imphal would be the fourth capital city in the Northeastern region after Assam’s main city of Guwahati, Tripura capital Agartala and Arunachal Pradesh’s Naharlagun.
The NFR is also laying new railway tracks to connect the capital cities of two more Northeastern States - Mizoram and Nagaland.

IT News
Imphal, Dec 10:

The public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against the large scale erection of political parties flag poles and bill boards of intending candidates of the upcoming state assembly election without taking prior permission from the Municipality offices of Imphal as well as the violation of banning of advertisement from highways by the Road transport Ministry of the government of Manipur has begun hearing in the Court of the Chief Justice of the Manipur high Court today
Rakesh Meihoubam, the advocate who represented the petitioner Rinku Khumukcham , editor of this newspaper said that during the first hearing the authority of the IMC had accepted the newsreport about any individual or political party taking prior permission for use of the government land in the jurisdiction of the IMC. The Court directed him to make sure that laws and regulations of the government be made followed by each and everyone irrespective of their position.
The next hearing of the PIL is scheduled on January 28, 2022.

IT News
Imphal, Nov 20: 

Governor of Manipur La. Ganesan flagged off India @75 BRO Motorcycle Expedition Team of 10 Bikers from 25th Border Road Task Force Head Quarter, Lamphel today .The expedition was organised by the Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) as  part of the celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav which is being celebrated across the country to commemorate 75 years of independence. A function was held at Team Triumphant 25th BRTF Auditorium, in the premise of BRTF.

In his address on the occasion as Chief Guest, Governor La. Ganesan lauded the efforts, achievement and presentation of BRO in the construction of roads, Bridges and other infrastructures which brings socio-economic development and connectivity to remote areas of the people of states in the country. He expressed his hope that BRO will continuously serve the country for national security and economic growth in the years to come. He expressed his happiness to the 25th  BRTF for conducting such important event on the occasion of 75th Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and wishing all the participants of the expedition. A shot movie on motorcycle expedion was also shown at the occasion.

It may be mentioned that the Motorcycle Expedition was flagged off by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from National War Memorial in New Delhi on October14, 2021 which will cover a distance of approximately 20,000km in 75 days by 75 BRO riders and will pass through various states and UT across the country. The Motorcycle expedition will be going on till 27th December, 2021.

GREF troops, officials and families of BRTF and others dignitaries of government were attended the occasion.