Society / Tripura

AGARTALA, May 17? Insurgents of banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have shot dead a woman leader of ruling CPI-M after branding her as a witch at Ramchandragha village of West Tripura district, police said Friday, reports PTI. Police said a group of armed NLFT ultras raided the village last night and stormed the house of one Dewan Debbarma and dragged his wife Madhumala Debbarma out of the hut, police said. The ultras blamed that she was a witch and responsible for spread of diseases in the village and shot the woman dead before fleeing the spot, police said adding they...

AGARTALA, April 2 : Mystery shrouds the death of sacred turtles at Tripureswari Matabari temple as wildlife experts are still groping in the dark to ascertain the exact cause of death. For the ages hundreds of turtles at Kalyansagar in Tripureswari temple, one of the 51 ?peeths?, are one of the main attractions for devotees and tourists as well. Turtles are considered sacred and part of the ?peethastan? their well-being also comes as a duty of the ?sebayet? of the temple the South Tripura district magistrate. Recently, several sacred turtles at Kalyansagar were found dead which created...

AGARTALA, March 14?An alarming increase of Thalassaemia and cancer has been noticed in Tripura. According to official data, while from 1998 to 2001 during the two years, 3618 cancer patients have been detected throughout the State, the number of Thalassaemia patients at present stands at 109. Health Minister Keshab Majumdar has informed the Tripura Assembly that the State Government provides all necessary medical facilities including blood to the Thalassaemia patients. Arrangements were being made for blood storage in subdivisional hospitals. ?Major Thalassaemia patients need blood...

AGARTALA, March 20 ? Considered to be sacred, eight hoary turtles inhabiting the lake of the Tripureswari temple in Udaipur in South Tripura district, have died mysteriously in the last few days, reports PTI. The Fisheries Department quoting environmentalists said on Tuesday that the turtles, fed by devotees seeking blessings at the ?peeth?, might have choked on polythene bags and waste dumped by people living nearby and business establishment. The tradition of turtles living in the lake dates back to the time of the 17th century king of Tripura, Kalyan Manikya Bhadur, who first released the...

AGARTALA, Feb 23 — With the onset of the dry spell, measles outbreak in interior Tripura, mainly in south district has reached an alarming situation. Unofficial reports have already put the death toll to 20 in several parts of Belonia and Sabrum subdivisions. All the children who died in the disease, belonged to tribal families. Measles first reported in Giddhikumarpara, a remote tribal hamlet, spread like wildfire in villages like Kalapania, Kolambari, Kshirode Roaja para, Purba Sabrum etc in south district. Out of 20 deaths reported, 16 died at Giddhikumarpara. Measles outbreak is also...

AGARTALA, April 4: The Tripura government has admitted that at least eight persons died of water-borne diseases in the wake of a severe drought spell in the state. As all water sources in hilly interior areas dried up, tribal jhumia families were forced to drink contaminated and muddy water, which resulted in outbreak of gastroenteritis, hepatitis, measles, malaria in vast rural areas. Most affected are Chhamanu block, Gandacherra and Damburnagar block. Though the Rural Development Minister Jitendra Choudhury after his visit to the affected areas on Tuesday put the death toll at eight...

AGARTALA, March 28: The ridiculously low number of child labourers recorded by the labour department of the Tripura government has drawn flak from experts of the V.V. Giri National Labour Institute. According to state government records, there are only 278 child labourers in Tripura. Of them, only 11 work in establishments which pose serious health hazards. These figures came out in the course of a seminar on child labour here jointly sponsored by the V.V. Giri National Labour Institute and the state labour department. The figures of child labour referred to by labour department officials in...

AGARTALA, March 17: Tripura University which has all along been in the thick of controversy for inept handling of the varsity affairs, is now facing contempt of court. It started with the Tripura University's attempt to appoint a financial officer on deputation. The varsity published advertisement for the intending candidates for the post. But it is alleged that the aspiring candidates were deprived of any interview on flimsy grounds as some influential sections in the institution took special care that one Shiburanranjan Saha was given the post. Saha was already on deputation in the Finance...

AGARTALA, March 14: The infant morality rate in Tripura is comparatively low compared to the national average. Official data show that the figure in the State stands at less than 45 per thousand while the national rate is 68 per thousand. This includes one-third of new-born babies (neo natals of day one to day 28) at the national as well as the State level. The infant mortality rate in the State is expected to dip further in the future. The doctors and para-medicos in the State are being imparted extensive training on health care and treatment of new born and infants. Special workshops are...

AGARTALA, March 6: Contract killers and organised gangs of criminals have made inroads into the Tripura capital, compounding the law and order situation in the insurgency-ravaged state. Over the past year, four persons have been shot dead by contract killers in Agartala. Congress legislator Madhusudan Saha, alias Bhola, was one of the victims. He was killed in the heart of the town on February 20. Agartala's proximity with Bangladesh is one of the reasons why its crime rate is high. Goons active here cross over to Bangladesh whenever the police launch a drive against smuggling and other crimes...