Terence Lewis Academy, PFTI to organize audition at Agartala

Agartala, Jun 20, 2012 : The Terence Lewis Academy (TLA) and Pailan Film and Television Institute (PFTI), Kolkata will organize an audition on June 29 next here at Agartala for the aspirants of Diploma in Dance Foundation course.

Addressing a media gathering here in a city hotel on Wednesday , Terence Lewis, celebrity dance icon of India, said, this is for the first time TLA in association with PFTI is offering 18 months diploma in dance foundation course at Kolkata, backed by fully integrated studio facilities in Eastern India.

In order to provide a world class platform for the talented dancers of the Northeast region, the aspirants can avail themselves of the facilities without going to Mumbai, said Terence Lewis.

The 18 months dance foundation course is meant only for dancers to develop their skills in modern dances including contemporary, ballet, jazz, salsa, hip hop and Bollywood dance steps, said Terence adding that the successful candidates will also go through the courses of yoga, strength, flexibility training including introductory workshop in Kathak, martial arts and movement, Bharatnatyam etc.

Bibhash Mukherjee of PFTI said, the course will be conducted by highly trained and professional persons with the best technical support, acoustic dance floor, sound system and visual projection set up etc.

For the 18 months diploma in dance foundation course, the auditions will come off in four cities of Eastern Indian including Agartala, Guwahati, Patna and in Kolkata from June 29 next, said Mukherjee.

The Agartala audition will be held on July 1 under observation of TLA’s own team and candidates have to go through four rounds of audition. After successful completion of audition rounds, the candidates will get the selection for final 56 seats for Diploma in Dance Foundation Course (DIDFC).

Mukherjee added that TLA and PFTI fixed the course at an amount of Rs 2.10 lakh and students can get loan facilities with easy installments.

Hospital atrocities prevention Bill mooted

Agartala, Jun 18, 2012 : Tripura is all set to table a bill for preventing rising incidents of atrocities on medical personnel in hospitals and healthcare institutions. The cabinet is expected to take a decision in this regard on Tuesday, said Tapan Chakraborty, Minister for Health and family Welfare. 

The minister stated that incidents of assault on doctors, nurses and other hospital staff had taken an ominous turn for the last few months.

Necessary formalities for the ‘Prevention of Atrocities on Medical Personnel Bill’ had already been finalized. Stating that the government was peeved at assaults and intimidations against the healthcare facilities, Chakraborty said on Sunday that the cabinet would have to approve the proposal before bringing it to the assembly. 

The Bill had got penal provisions for people accused of committing rampage and assaults in hospitals, nursing homes and other private healthcare institutions, added the minister.

Three surrendered rebels held with huge cash

Agartala, Jun 18, 2012 : Three NLFT(BM) collaborator and surrendered extremists including a woman were arrested with some incriminating documents of banned faction including cash amount of Rs 25 lakh on Sunday from Jirania.

Police said, Jirania police station had specific information that some youths carrying contraband item including huge amount of cash are proceeding in a Maruti van towards Jirania from Agartala with a motive to hand it over to the NLFT(BM) extremist group.

Based on this information, a contingent of police led by officer-in-charge Paluram Das set a trap on Bashkobra area of National Highway to trace the vehicle. 

When the suspected vehicle seeing the police personnel, vehicle at about 5.30 pm of afternoon fled away with a high speed towards Khumwlung, ADC road. 

Immediately police chased the vehicle from behind and cordoned the area near TBI brick field at Khotamara and managed to arrest three NLFT collaborators Dhani Koloi(39) alias Dangar, Bishnu Koloi(35) alias Biscuit and Ratasree Koloi(29) alias Pakti of Taidu village from the house of Sambu Chandra Debbarma and recovered one carry bag under their possession.

In the course of search operation police recovered Rs.25 lacs of Indian currency and some subscription note of NLFT(BM) militants.

Police added that arrested collaborators had collected the cash amount from a unidentified youth near Lake Choumohani in Agartala,which was supposed to hand over to the underground cadre of the NLFT(BM). 

Later, all the three accused persons were produced before a local court on Sunday and have been granted 7 days Police remand for investigation.

Tripura CM bats for blood donation and awareness at school level

Agartala, Jun 17, 2012 : Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura, has laid stress on introducing blood donation camps at school level along with a sustained awareness programme so that voluntary blood donation in the state registers further rise, making it self-sufficient in voluntary blood donation. The chief minister was speaking in Agartala Press Club after inaugurating a voluntary blood donation camp organised by the Club . Along with blood donation, camps for voluntary marriage registration and registration for posthumous donation of eyes and bodies were also organised simultaneously within the Club premise.

Speaking to an impressive gathering of media-persons, intellectuals and scholars Sarkar said that over the past decade voluntary blood donation has emerged as a mass movement. 'Now such blood donation camps are organised on a regular basis even in interior areas dominated by indigenous people but we still can make up 80% of our shortfall in blood supply through voluntary donation, our target is to take it up to 90% soon; it is however a matter of pride that after Goa, Tripura is the second state in the country in terms of collecting blood from voluntary donation' said Sarkar.

He asserted that according to medical convention people within the age group of 18-60 alone can donate blood . 'But current research has come out with the finding that physically well and disease-free people in the age group of 60-65 also can donate blood but we are awaiting further feedback on the issue and then people till the age group of 65 also will be included' Sarkar said . He added that a sustained awareness campaign at the school level was necessary to inspire students with the ideal of donating blood and saving lives . 'Once the student community is convinced that blood donation is a noble, life-saving act they will definitely come forward to donate' said Sarkar .

He also called upon the media-persons to come forward for blood donation in larger numbers as well as to author features and special stories in their print media at least once a week . 'The Electronics Media has a special responsibility in this regard , if they bring attractive visuals to the people on blood donation and donors it will impress people and motivate them' said Sarkar. The chief minister also appreciated the initiative taken by Agartala Press Club in organising the blood donation camp and separate camp for distribution of marriage registration certificates. 'The marriage registration certificates empower women and give them security in life ; organizing this camps is a welcome initiative of Agartala Press Club' said the chief minister.

Meanwhile, the blood donation camp organised by the Agartala Press Club authority drew spontaneous response from the people as altogether 35 persons including 6 women-mostly media persons-donated blood while altogether 11 persons registered for posthumous donation of body and eye. More success was achieved in the matter of marriage registration as altogether 56 couple got their marriages registered and obtained certificates from the SDO (Sadar) M.L.Das.