Month: September 2024

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Business Economy India News

CapitaLand to Double Down on India Investment

The announcement will contribute to CLI’s global target of achieving $200 billion Singapore dollars in FUM by 2028, the company said in a statement…reports Asian Lite News

Global real asset manager CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) on Wednesday announced to more than double its funds under management (FUM) in its core market India to $14.8 billion Singapore dollars (Rs 90,280 crore) by 2028 — up from the current 7.4 billion Singapore dollars – as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day official visit to Singapore.

The announcement will contribute to CLI’s global target of achieving $200 billion Singapore dollars in FUM by 2028, the company said in a statement.

Singapore’s High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, posted on X that it is “good to see Singapore companies doubling down on investments in India”.

CLI entered India 30 years ago with the development of its first IT park called the International Tech Park Bangalore (ITPB). Its footprint has since expanded to 14 business and IT parks, offering 23.5 million square feet of space strategically located across Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai and Gurugram, with more than 250,000 professionals working from these parks.

“India has been one of our fastest growing markets, where our investments have tripled in the last seven years. With India’s GDP forecasted to grow 7 per cent in 2024 and its trajectory to be the world’s third-largest economy in the next five years, the country is attracting demand from global corporations and institutional investors for quality real assets,” said Lee Chee Koon, Group Chief Executive Officer, CLI.

As a long-term investor in India, “we not only invest in the assets but also contribute significantly to the economic development of the country”, he added.

With a current land bank of over 16 million square feet, CLI will accelerate development activities to address the increasing demand for premium office spaces across key metropolitan cities.

CLINT, the largest India-focused property trust listed in Singapore, will continue to develop and execute forward purchase acquisitions, securing prime assets to ensure a robust pipeline for sustained growth.

The real asset major will also seek joint development and joint venture opportunities with capital partners, along with commercial management partnerships, to expand in India.

“We will leverage our operational expertise to grow the value of our assets, further expand our logistics footprint under our established logistics platform, Ascendas-Firstspace (AFS) and scale up our lodging portfolio through CLI’s lodging arm, The Ascott Limited,” said Sanjeev Dasgupta, CEO, CLI India.

ALSO READ: Stalin signs MoU worth Rs 2000 crore with Trilliant

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-Top News Asia News Bangladesh

Bangladesh floods: Millions stranded as disease fears grow

As the floodwaters begin to recede, the risk of disease outbreaks remains high, and efforts are underway to ensure the availability of clean drinking water….reports Asian Lite News

The devastating floods in Bangladesh have now claimed 71 lives, with the situation becoming increasingly dire as millions remain stranded and concerns about waterborne diseases grow, reported Dawn.

Triggered by relentless monsoon rains and runoff from upstream rivers, these floods have caused widespread havoc across the country, affecting around five million individuals.

Currently, over 5,80,000 families are marooned in 11 severely affected districts, urgently needing essential supplies such as food, clean water, medicine, and dry clothing. The relief operations are being ramped up with nearly 500 medical teams deployed to provide treatment and support.

In addition, the army, air force, navy, and border guards are actively involved in the relief efforts, working tirelessly to reach those in need and mitigate the impact of the floods.

The focus of the relief operations is now shifting towards preventing the spread of waterborne diseases, a common and dangerous consequence of such disasters.

The Directorate General of Health Services has reported nearly 5,000 new hospitalisations in the past 24 hours due to diarrhoea, skin infections, and snake bites, reported Dawn News.

As the floodwaters begin to recede, the risk of disease outbreaks remains high, and efforts are underway to ensure the availability of clean drinking water.

In Dhaka, the situation has worsened with heavy rains causing roads to become submerged, leading to significant traffic jams and further complicating relief efforts. Preliminary assessments indicate that crops worth approximately 33.5 billion taka (USD 282 million) have been destroyed, severely impacting over 1.4 million farmers.

A 2015 analysis by the World Bank Institute highlighted that about 3.5 million people in Bangladesh are at risk from annual river flooding, a problem exacerbated by climate change. The current flooding, the worst the country has experienced in three decades, has prompted UNICEF to launch an urgent appeal for USD 35 million, Dawn reported.

This appeal aims to provide critical supplies and support to the two million children who are particularly vulnerable in this crisis.

Emma Brigham, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh, emphasised the profound impact of climate change on children’s lives, stating that recurring floods, heatwaves, and cyclones are increasingly devastating their futures.

The situation remains critical as Bangladesh battles one of its worst flood crises in recent history.

Earlier this week, Bangladeshi capital Dhaka experienced heavy rainfall, resulting in extensive waterlogging in parts of the city.

Although the rain has ceased, roads, lanes and bylanes in parts of Dhaka went under ankle to knee-deep water, causing traffic congestion and immense hardship to commuters and millions of dwellers.

Dhaka experienced a combination of overcast skies, sweltering heat and sporadic rainfall for several days.

Because of the serious water-logging problem, activities in the country’s business district of Motijheel have been severely affected, with many office-goers, traders and workers falling behind their daily schedules.

As always, rickshaws emerged as a means of relief in many water-logged Dhaka areas.

ALSO READ: ‘Lanka could have faced same fate as Bangladesh’

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-Top News Asia News China

Property presales in China hit 18-year low

Preselling a home is making it available for purchase before it is ready to move in, and this has become the main method of purchasing houses in China..reports Asian Lite News

The Chinese real estate market which once was a major contributor to the Chinese economy has reached the lowest share of new-home sales in 18 years as potential home-owners are shying from making purchases as after a string of cash-strapped developers halted construction, Nikkei Asia reported.

Reportedly, preselling of real estate properties allows the developers to recover their investments faster, and provide them cash and cash equivalents for their future projects.

Preselling a home is making it available for purchase before it is ready to move in, and this has become the main method of purchasing houses in China.

However, presales operations of homes had decreased by around 30 per cent. Additionally, new-home sales in the country also fell 21 per cent for the January-July period this year, Nikkei Asia reported citing the National Bureau of Statistics.

The housing recession in China has led to a prolonged economic crisis in real estate developers, most of which have halted constructions on presold properties since 2022. This resulted in homebuyers being kept away from moving in because of construction delays. This delay has caused a pushback with protests and mortgage strikes.

According to Nikkei Asia, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) currently worries that dissatisfaction over delayed delivery could lead to high criticism. In its third plenum, held in July this year, the party had proposed plans for presales reforms and promoting sales of completed properties in China.

Reportedly, local governments have crafted measures based on this policy from the third plenum, which includes giving real estate developers tax breaks and increasing banks’ credit lines. But on the condition that, the homes are sold to owners after completion only.

If the developers in China increase the number of properties sold after completion, the time needed to recover investments will drastically increase. Additionally, the construction costs for homeowners could also rise 20 per cent to 30 per cent compared with presales, the Nikkei Asia report stated.

According to the report, even if the real estate sales improve, prices continue to see downward pressure, and it is unclear if the country’s developers would be able to recover the necessary funds and improve their cash flow amid the sinking real estate market in China.

“The turnover of funds will slow, making it difficult for real estate companies to manage their business as aggressively as before,” said Yusuke Miura, a senior researcher at the NLI Research Institute.

Furthermore, the new-home sales show no signs of bottoming out. The prices have continued to decline in 66 of 70 major cities this July, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The prices for properties have fallen in more than half of the cities for the 14th consecutive month this year. Prices declined by an unweighted average of 0.6 per cent across the 70 cities. With the negative trend continuing since June 2023, real estate developers are struggling to secure funds for projects, the Nikkei Asia report added. (ANI)

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-Top News Asia News China

China seals rail project deal with Tanzania, Zambia

The Tanzanian and Zambian president are in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC…reporst Asian Lite News

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on revitalization project of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) railway, state media reported.

The Tanzanian and Zambian president are in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Xinhua reported.

The 1,860-km-long railway from Dar es Salaam in east Tanzania to New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia. China had provided a USD 400 million interest free loan to build the railway,

The three-day (September 4-6) summit marks the ninth editon of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and is being held amidst ongoing conflicts in Africa in its neighbouring West Asia, Ukraine, and China’s growing assertiveness in the Pacific region.

As per American news outlet CNN, Chinese officials have touted the gathering as the largest diplomatic event they’ve hosted in recent years.

Xi Jinping and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Wednesday attended a signing ceremony of cooperation documents.

As per Xinhua, Xi also today met with Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Further, the Chinese president met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Xi held talks with Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye and stated the bilateral cooperation has yielded tangible results and benefited the people of the two countries over the past years.

Chinese state media cited Xi as saying that China is willing to work with Senegal to realize their respective modernization, and advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries to a new level, Xi said.

On Tuesday China and Nigeria issued a joint statement elevating their ties to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday held talks in Beijing ahead of the opening of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

As per a report in Al Jazeera, China’s State Council said that Tinubu expressed his hope that Nigeria would become China’s largest trade and investment partner in Africa.

The Nigerian President also welcomed Chinese companies to increase investments in the country, expand cooperation in fields such as agriculture, manufacturing and mineral energy, and help poverty reduction efforts, according to the State Council.

As per the Al Jazeera report the Chinese state-run Export-Import Bank of China is financing 85 per cent of the cost of the USD 5.8bn Mambilla hydroelectric plant, which will be the Nigeria’s biggest power plant upon its scheduled completion in 2030.

Chinese premier Li Qiang on September 3 met with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is on a State visit.

Also Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday agreed to elevate bilateral relationship between the two countries.

As per CNN, this week marks Beijing’s chance to position China as a champion of the Global South and alternative leader to the US amidst Beijing’s rising frictions with Washington.

Beijing, said the US news outlet, is also expected to push to make Africa’s market a destination for its prolific production of green tech like solar panels and electric vehicles.

In 2021, China made ambitious pledges to Africa, including a commitment to import USD 300 billion worth of goods by 2024.

The CNN pointed out that a number of leaders attending the three-yearly Forum on China and Africa Cooperation are from countries grappling with heavy international debt, including from Chinese loans, and seek more investment and trade to boost their economies.

Since 2013, Xi has made five visits to Africa, traveling to Tanzania, South Africa, the Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Senegal, Rwanda and Mauritius. Since 2023, he has hosted at least 20 African leaders in China, the country’s state media reported. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Rahul bats for J&K statehood; slams Centre

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-Top News Asia News Politics

Rights panel reveals biased justice system against labour class in Pakistan

The 38-page HRCP report titled ‘Seeking Redressal Access to Justice for Vulnerable Workers’ revealed that the chain of justice remains biased..reports Asian Lite News

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), in a recent report, highlighted the concerns and issues faced by daily wage workers in Pakistan.

The report claimed that the labour class in Pakistan continues to remain unaware of their employment rights, which employers often take advantage of.

The 38-page HRCP report titled ‘Seeking Redressal Access to Justice for Vulnerable Workers’ revealed that the chain of justice remains biased and unaffordable even when a daily wage worker decides to fight.

The report closely monitors the case of Zafar, a former generator operator who lost his job without prior notice and has struggled to seek legal redressal.

In a post on X, the HRCP stated, “Not only are most workers unaware of the rights to which they are entitled under Pakistan’s labour laws, but most simply do not know how to seek redressal when these rights are violated by employers.”

The report was based on a survey of workers in Multan, Lahore and Peshawar. Reportedly, the study finds that the lack of a separate cadre of the judiciary to preside over labour courts, compounded by judges’ limited capacity to adjudicate in such disputes, and ineffective labour unions have left many workers disillusioned about their ability to seek justice.

According to the statement of the HRCP, “Labour inspections remain infrequent, even minimal, while labour inspectors’ very limited authority to penalise violators of labour rights and laws and loose definitions of the minimum wage (exploited by many employers) mean that urgent reforms are needed to provide respite to vulnerable workers.”

The report mentioned that “Despite an established body of evidence regarding the lack of registration of workers, the situation does not seem to be changing. A vast majority of workers, even in the formal sector, do not have formal contracts and are thus not entitled to crucial benefits provided under labour laws, such as social security.”

Additionally, workers across provinces, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lack awareness of their rights, applicable labour laws and the legal minimum wage. There is also a lack of understanding of complaints and redressal mechanisms.

In many instances, workers lose motivation or become overwhelmed by the litigation processes and associated expenses. They do not receive adequate support and are assigned poor legal representation– lawyers offering their services pro bono are often also short of time or not well-versed in labour laws to pursue such cases effectively.

The state must strengthen the district legal empowerment committees and the newly established Legal Aid and Justice Authority to assist workers and provide legal aid, the HRCP report mentioned. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Rahul bats for J&K statehood; slams Centre

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-Top News Asia News Politics

Pak court issues non-bailable arrest warrant against KP CM

Earlier, the court summoned KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur in an arms and liquor recovery case….reports Asian Lite News

A Sessions Court in Islamabad has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in an arms and liquor recovery case, ARY News reported.

It came in connection with a case dating back to 2016, where police claimed to have found weapons and liquor in Gandapur’s car.

During the recent court hearing, the judge denied Gandapur’s request to be excused from appearing due to health reasons, leading to the issuance of the arrest warrants, as per ARY News.

The session court Judge Shaista Khan Kundi heard the case and ordered the SHO of Bhara Kahu police station to arrest Gandapur and present him before the court on September 5.

Earlier, the court summoned KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur in an arms and liquor recovery case.

According to ARY News, the District and Sessions Judge also sought replies to nine questions from Gandapur, directing him to appear before the court in person.

It is important to note here that the police claimed to have recovered weapons and liquor from Ali Amin Gandapur’s car on 30th October 2016.

Ali Amin Gandapur’s car was stopped and searched at a check post at the Rukhsana Bangash road when he was going to the residence of Imran Khan in Bani Gala, according to the police.

The weapons were displayed at Bara Kahu police station of Islamabad, which included four Kalashnikovs, ammunition, tear-gas fire gun and bulletproof vests.

Meanwhile last month, it had come to light that federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had secret discussions before party’s much-anticipated public gathering, which postponed later.

According to sources, the federal administration had spoken with Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about postponing the public event.

They claimed that after Ali Amin Gandapur rejected requests to postpone the PTI gathering, connections were made with Azam Swati and Barrister Gohar Ali, the chairman of the Imran Khan-founded PTI.

According to those with knowledge of the issue, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur vehemently refuted any intention to reschedule the event, and he was even extended an invitation to view and hear PTI founder Imran Khan’s audio and video addresses.

“Ali Amin Gandapur refused to see Imran Khan’s messages,” the sources said, according to ARY News.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM also set conditions, saying that PTI’s founder should be released from jail and brought forward or contacted via video.

Moreover, the sources said Ali Amin Gandapur made it clear that he would not even meet the PTI founder in jail over the postponement of the public gathering. They added that there has been no meeting between Ali Amin Gandapur and the PTI founder for over 25 days, ARY News reported. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Rahul bats for J&K statehood; slams Centre

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Asia News India News Politics

Sharad Pawar says no dispute in MVA over CM post

Sharad Pawar added many times in the past alliances had gone to the polls without any Chief Ministerial face…reports Asian Lite News

NCP-SCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance has no dispute over the post of Chief Minister and a final decision on the position would be made after the elections in Maharashtra.

Speaking at a press conference in Kolhapur today, Pawar said there was no doubt that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will get the majority in the upcoming legislative assembly elections that are expected to take place later this year.

“There is no dispute about the post of Chief Minister in our alliance. After the elections, we will think about it and make a decision. We have not got the majority yet, but there is no doubt that we will get the majority. Once the elections are over, we will sit and discuss the face of the post of Chief Minister,” he said.

He further added many times in the past alliances had gone to the polls without any Chief Ministerial face.

“This has happened many times before when a party or alliance has gone to the elections without any face. And after the elections, someone has been chosen to run the government. For example, in the elections held immediately after the emergency in 1977, no one was made the candidate for the post of Prime Minister. Jayaprakash Narayan’s name was at the forefront; elections were held and when it came to choosing the Prime Minister, Morarji Desai was chosen as the Prime Minister. Therefore, I believe that there is no need to choose the face for the post of Chief Minister before the elections. After the elections, on the basis of the majority of the public, we will all sit together and after discussing among ourselves, we will choose the face for the post of Chief Minister,” Pawar added.

Speaking on the Badlapur incident and the protest that followed because of it, Pawar said, “Little girls were tortured in Badlapur and this is very disgusting; thousands of people protested and the government alleged that people were brought from outside. Cases were imposed on many of the people who had come there to protest against the government; this filled the minds of the people with anger. It is not right to force cases on people. And it is not a political thing to say that the cases of those who have been booked in this manner should be withdrawn. We did not bring the people who had come there. And there is no issue of politics in this.”

Addressing the issue of the collapse of the 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, he said, “Jaydeep Apte, who made this effigy, had very limited experience. As far as the argument that the effigy got damaged due to strong winds and falls is concerned, it is not correct. Because we see that the statue installed near the Gateway of India is not affected by the strong wind, the statue installed in Shivaji Park (Dadar) is not affected by the strong wind. So, it would not be fair to say that the statue fell due to strong wind. The person who was given the work had no experience making such a statue; it was wrong to give such a big work to such a person.”

“Those who have talked about history do not have the right to speak on what Maharaj did. Jaisingh Rao Pawar has said that Shivaji Maharaj had attacked Surat twice, and historian Indrajit Sawant has also supported his statement. Do not tell the wrong history to the people and the new generation. No one should do the work of telling the wrong history. And the opinion expressed by historians in this regard should be respected,” Pawar said while speaking on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s statement on Shivaji Maharaj’s not attacking and looting Surat.

On the RSS’s statement that caste-based census should only be used for the betterment of those communities or castes that are lagging rather than politics or election practises, Pawar said, “It is the demand of all of us that there should be a caste census. This will create more opportunities for the smaller communities. If caste census is done, then if RSS is in favour of caste census, there is nothing wrong with it.” (ANI)

ALSO READ: Rahul bats for J&K statehood; slams Centre

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Business Economy India News

Stalin signs MoU worth Rs 2000 crore with Trilliant

CM Stalin met the officials of ‘Optum’, a healthcare-providing company which already has an established unit in Tamil Nadu employing 5,000 people….reports Asian Lite News

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who is on a 17-day visit to the US to seek investments for the state, has signed a Rs 2,000 crore Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trilliant.

This is for establishing Trilliant’s manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu as well as for constituting their Development and Global Support centre in the state, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in a statement on Thursday said.

The statement also said that the Chief Minister had a productive discussion with sports goods makers, Nike for establishing its product creation and design centre in Tamil Nadu.

CM Stalin met the officials of ‘Optum’, a healthcare-providing company which already has an established unit in Tamil Nadu employing 5,000 people. The CMO in the statement said that the meeting with ‘Optum’ was for extending the company’s operations in Tiruchi and Madurai districts of Tamil Nadu.

It may noted that CM Stalin during his business visit met several corporates in San Francisco and now in Chicago.

The CM visited the headquarters of Google, Apple and Microsoft and has entered into MoUs with these tech giants for investments in Tamil Nadu.

The Chief Minister is travelling to the US eight months after the Tamil Nadu government signed MoUs worth over Rs 6 lakh crore during the third edition of the Global Investors Meet.

Tamil Nadu’s focus is mainly on embracing cutting-edge technologies and fostering an ecosystem conducive to R&D and high-tech manufacturing and in this regard the Chief Minister is meeting major technology companies in the US.

Since assuming office in May 2021, CM Stalin has visited the UAE, Singapore, Japan and Spain to get investment proposals for Tamil Nadu.

It may be noted that Tamil Nadu has already emerged as the locus of iPhone manufacturing in India with three key suppliers — Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics — expanding their operations. Additionally, Bharat FIH, an arm of Foxconn, will soon begin to assemble Pixel phones and drones for Google.

ALSO READ: Rahul bats for J&K statehood; slams Centre

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Asia News India News Politics

Nothing done to mitigate Manipur violence, says Kharge

The Congress president claimed in a post on X that the Prime Minister has done nothing to mitigate the violence in the state for the past sixteen months….reports Asian Lite News

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has once again questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ongoing violence in Manipur.

The Congress president claimed in a post on X that the Prime Minister has done nothing to mitigate the violence in the state for the past sixteen months.

“@narendramodi ji, it has been 16 months since Manipur has been engulfed in violence, but your ‘double engine’ government has done NOTHING to mitigate it. No measure has been taken which instils confidence among the people of all the communities to ensure peace and normalcy.” Kharge posted on X.

The Congress President also asked why the Prime Minister hasn’t removed Chief Minister N. Biren Singh from his post, claiming that the CM is culpable in “virtually paralysing the state machinery”.

“Why has the Manipur CM made to brazen it out and has not been sacked by you? Is he not culpable in virtually paralysing the state machinery, and making obnoxious statements, now recorded in public domain? A resignation drama was enacted to shamelessly dodge that bullet.”, added the Congress President on X.

Kharge further said that PM Modi has not visited the state and that even a fundamental peace process hasn’t started because of the union government.

“Why have you not bothered to set foot in the state? It is because of your ego that people of all communities are suffering. Your government’s rank incompetency and shamelessness has not been able to start even a fundamental peace process!”, said Kharge.

The Congress President also highlighted the recent drone attack in Imphal and said that the state is also facing a national security crisis at its borders. “Bombing through drone attacks have just taken place in Imphal West district and the Union Home Minister seems to be asleep at the wheel. Even your own BJP leaders and their houses are being attacked. Apart from internal turmoil, now a National Security threat also looms large at the borders of Manipur.”

Earlier, Rajya Sabha MP Sanajaoba constituted a high-level committee and held meeting with its members to conduct an investigation after unarmed Koutruk villagers in Manipur’s Imphal were attacked with drones, bombs and sophisticated weapons on Sunday reportedly by the Kuki militants.

The Manipur Police also had confirmed the reports of usage of drones in the attack in Kotruk, ” In an unprecedented attack in Koutruk, Imphal West, alleged Kuki militants have deployed numerous RPGs using high-tech drones. While drone bombs have commonly been used in general warfares, this recent deployment of drones to deploy explosives against security forces and the civilians marks a significant escalation.” (ANI)

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Asia News India News Politics

India govt seals peace pacts with two armed groups in Tripura

Amit Shah also said that the government would implement all the provisions of the agreement in toto….reports Asian Lite News

 Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday that over 12 accords have been signed in the last five years with militant outfits and other organisations in the country’s northeastern region, while over 10,000 cadres of various extremist groups have surrendered and joined the mainstream.

Home Minister Shah, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Tripura government were present at the agreement signing programme with two insurgent groups — National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) — in the national capital on Wednesday.

Chairing the signing ceremony, the Home Minister said that after 35 years of armed conflict, the cadres of the NLFT and the ATTF came to the mainstream, and decided to join the development process.

Around 328 cadres of the two outfits would join the mainstream of life and take part in the developmental initiatives, HM Shah said, adding that a Rs 250 crore package has been sanctioned, and a special development initiative was undertaken for the tribals and their areas.

Amit Shah also said that the government would implement all the provisions of the agreement in toto.

“Through the Ashtalakshmi concept and Purvodaya vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, huge development has already been achieved in road, rail and air connectivity in the eight northeastern states. Earlier, there was a gap between the northeastern states and Delhi but now with visionary leader PM Modi’s initiatives, the region has achieved tremendous development,” the Home Minister said.

Former Tripura Chief Minister and Lok Sabha Member Biplab Kumar Deb, Tipra Motha Party supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, senior officials at MHA and Tripura government were also present at the agreement signing ceremony.

A Tripura government official said that earlier on August 10, 2019, a tripartite agreement was signed in Delhi between the Centre, the Tripura government and a faction of the NLFT.

After the pact, 88 NLFT cadres surrendered to the Tripura government and deposited arms and ammunition.

The official said that the surrendered cadres were given benefits as per the Surrender-cum-Rehabilitation Scheme, 2018 of the MHA.

The Tripura government helped the surrendered cadres with housing, recruitment for government jobs, education and skill development training.

Both the NLFT and ATTF have been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act since 1997 as the outfits have been involved in violence, operating from their camps across the International Border.

The two outfits have been responsible for violent activities, including numerous insurgency-related incidents in which many security force personnel and civilians lost their lives during the period 2005-2015.

Peace talks with NLFT were initiated in 2015 and there has been no major violence by NLFT since 2016.

An official statement said that the MHA has been working tirelessly to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed northeast, free from extremism, violence and conflict.

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