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Manipur News: 18 posts reserved for Olympians, black rice flags off, Ganga Prasad new Manipur Govt, Police intensify search Operations

The Manipur government created 18 posts reserved for Olympians in the YAS Department, Chief Minister flagged off Organic Black Rice to Europe, Ganga Prasad was sworn in as the new governor of Manipur, and the government intensified search operations ahead of Independence Day.

Published

5 years ago

August 12, 2021

Manipur creates 18 posts reserved for Olympians in YAS Dept

To encourage the youths in the fields of game and sports, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh informed that the state cabinet in its recent meeting has created 18 posts reserved for Olympians of the state in Youth Affairs and Sports (YAS) Department. The Chief Minister said this at the reception ceremony of the hockey player and Tokyo Olympic Bronze Medalist Nilakanta Sharma at Kontha Ahallup in Imphal East on Wednesday.

The post created included 10 posts of assistant director for participants, five deputy directors for medal winners and three posts of Joint Director for gold medal winners at Olympic Games.
Expressing proud feelings on the heroic performances and achievements of the State’s athletes in the recent Tokyo Olympics, he stated that the young and talented Olympians would be a source of inspiration and motivation among the youths of the State.

The Chief Minister also maintained that the state Government is committed towards developing games and sports for its role in instilling good discipline and manners among the youths.

1 MT consignment of Organic Black Rice Flags off

In a big boost to the agriculture sector in Manipur, Chief Minister Biren Singh today flagged off 1 Metric Tonnes consignment of Organic Black Rice to Europe through North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC) in association with the state Department of Agriculture. Black Rice, locally known as Chak-Hao in Manipur which has a GI tag is scented glutinous rice which has been in cultivation in Manipur over centuries, is characterised by its special aroma. In a tweet post, Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Centre for extending support to the farmers in exporting their products.

Meanwhile, CM Biren Singh also released a Special Cover on “Kachai Lemon” for the Postal Department, Government of India at CM Secretariat. The Special Cover is released as a run up to the Independence Day, to promote the indigenous produce of Manipur for wider publicity across the country and the globe.

Kachai Champra (lemon) a pride for Manipur, is grown widely in the Kachai Village in Ukhrul District. More than 300 hectares is under Kachai lemon cultivation under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Regions (MOVCDNER) employing hundreds of organic farmers in the State.

Ganga Prasad sworn-in as Manipur Governor

Ganga Prasad was sworn in today as the new governor of Manipur at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The oath-taking ceremony was administered by Manipur High Court Chief Justice P V Sanjay Kumar. The governor’s secretariat on Wednesday said that Ganga Prasad will assume office following the expiry of the term of Najma Heptulla. Ganga Prasad was earlier the governor of Meghalaya and Sikkim.

Police Intensify Search Ops in Manipur Ahead of 1-Day

Ahead of Independence Day celebration on August 15, the Manipur government has intensified cordon and search operations in the state since the past few days.

As a part of the larger measures, house-to-house cordon and search operations were conducted in the valley districts of Imphal West, Imphal East and Thoubal districts by respective district police personnel. So far there was no report of any arrest made during the operation.

Security has also been beefed up in all the sensitive areas across Manipur to prevent any untoward incident in the run-up to Independence Day.

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Nandigram bypoll: Congress candidate arrested hours after Mamata’s support

Congress’s Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced support for his candidature.

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in West Bengal in connection with an old murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support his candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The arrest came on Friday, September 18, after Mamata Banerjee announced at a press conference at her Kalighat residence that her faction would back the Congress candidate in Nandigram.

Why was Milan Pradhan arrested?

According to the available report, Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case. The report does not provide further details about the case, including the alleged incident, the sections invoked or the circumstances of the arrest.

The arrest therefore comes at a significant point in the Nandigram bypoll, with Pradhan having emerged as the Congress candidate after a series of political developments in the constituency.

Why did Mamata Banerjee support the Congress candidate?

Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been fielded by her faction, withdrew from the Nandigram contest.

According to the report, Pradhan Dey withdrew her candidature after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata subsequently announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The development placed Milan Pradhan at the centre of the latest political developments surrounding the Nandigram election.

Nandigram bypoll scheduled for October 6

The Nandigram Assembly bypoll is scheduled for October 6. The constituency has drawn attention ahead of the election following changes involving candidates and the political support announced by Mamata Banerjee’s faction.

With Milan Pradhan’s arrest now reported, the Congress candidate’s legal case is likely to become another important development in the run-up to the bypoll.

India News

Mamata Banerjee’s Nandigram candidate withdraws from bypoll

Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew from the Nandigram bypoll after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, with Mamata Banerjee later announcing support for Congress.

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by Mamata Banerjee’s faction of the Trinamool Congress for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, has withdrawn from the contest.

The development came a day after the Election Commission announced that the rival Trinamool factions would not be allowed to use the party’s existing name and symbol for the upcoming bypolls. The poll panel later allotted new names and symbols to the two factions.

Dey had been announced as the Mamata faction’s Nandigram candidate on Sunday. She is a teacher in Nandigram who had lost her job following the cancellation of the appointments of 26,000 teachers in connection with an alleged recruitment scam.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey met Suvendu Adhikari

According to sources, Dey met West Bengal Chief Minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday. A photograph of the meeting also emerged.

Her withdrawal was announced on Friday afternoon as Mamata Banerjee was addressing a press conference over the Election Commission’s decision concerning the Trinamool factions.

With Dey no longer in the contest, Banerjee announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypoll.

Banerjee said the decision had been taken within her party and that she had spoken with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while noting that the Congress had not been informed about the decision at that point.

New names and symbols for Trinamool factions

The Election Commission has allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee.

The rival faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.

The Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9.

India News

BJP convoy attacked in Punjab ahead of anti-drug campaign launch

BJP leader and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that his convoy was attacked near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway in Punjab while he was travelling to Pathankot for a BJP anti-drug event.

Published

3 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has alleged that his convoy was attacked in Punjab while he was travelling towards Pathankot to attend a party event.

According to Bittu, the incident took place near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, where a group of people allegedly threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at his convoy.

The incident occurred as Bittu was travelling to Pathankot for an anti-drug campaign being launched by BJP president Nitin Nabin.

What happened to Ravneet Bittu’s convoy?

Bittu’s convoy, comprising around eight to nine vehicles, came under attack near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, according to his account.

He alleged that protesters threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at the vehicles. Bittu further claimed that the windows of two escort vehicles were broken and that a jammer vehicle was also damaged.

The protesters also reportedly blocked the road, making it difficult for the convoy to continue towards Pathankot.

The incident took place near an area where the ‘Babe da viyah’ festival was being celebrated.

Three protesters reportedly caught

Bittu’s office said his security team caught three people who were allegedly involved in the incident.

His office further alleged that the three were linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). However, the allegation was denied by the AAP.

AAP leader Joban Randhawa said the party’s workers were protesting peacefully and alleged that Bittu’s supporters had targeted them.

The competing claims have not been independently established in the report.

What did Ravneet Singh Bittu say?

Bittu said he had informed the Union Home Ministry about the incident. He also held Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s Director General of Police responsible for his safety in the event of any harm to him or people associated with him.

His office called for an investigation into the incident and raised concerns about the safety of political leaders and workers.

Why was Bittu travelling to Pathankot?

Ravneet Singh Bittu was travelling to Pathankot to attend the BJP’s anti-drug campaign event. BJP president Nitin Nabin was scheduled to launch the campaign in Pathankot.

The incident occurred amid preparations for the BJP’s political activities in Punjab ahead of the state’s next Assembly election.

Who is Ravneet Singh Bittu?

Ravneet Singh Bittu is a BJP leader and former Union minister. He served as Minister of State for Railways and Minister of State for Food Processing Industries before resigning from the Union Council of Ministers in July 2026.

His tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP had ended in June 2026.