Sushanta Chowdhury claims a 64% increase in domestic travel in Tripura.

Tripura has witnessed a sharp surge in tourism, with domestic tourist arrivals rising by 64.07 per cent in 2024 to 6.01 lakh from 3.66 lakh the previous year. Foreign tourist arrivals also grew by 36.15 per cent, reaching 91,000, helping Tripura retain its position as the second-most visited Northeastern state by international visitors after Sikkim. Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury credited the success to Chief Minister Manik Saha, the people of Tripura, and the Tourism Department, and said the Centre has assured support for new projects to showcase the state’s cultural and natural heritage. He held meetings in Delhi with Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia and Nirmala Sitharaman, both of whom assured cooperation and financial aid to strengthen Tripura’s tourism infrastructure.

Imphal East district seizes weapons and ammo, holds militant in manipur.

Security forces in Manipur arrested militant Md Tajuddin Shah (37) from Imphal East district. Shah, an active member of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (PWG), was detained along with the seizure of a large cache of arms and ammunition linked to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The haul included rifles, grenades, explosives, bulletproof jackets, and PLA insignias. In a separate major drug bust in Imphal East, police arrested Meisnam Geetchandra and seized over 23,000 Tramadol tablets, other narcotics, and syrup. These operations underscore ongoing efforts to curb militancy and drug trafficking in Manipur.

Sushanta Chowdhury, the minister of Tripura, requests the center’s assistance for programs aimed at promoting tourism.

Tripura Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on September 24 to seek central support for tourism projects. Chowdhury said Sitharaman assured full cooperation for the state’s tourism development. He also held discussions with Union DONER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, seeking financial assistance for new projects and apprising him of Tripura’s ongoing tourism initiatives and future plans.

Bhutan automobile smuggling: Arunachal Pradesh-registered SUV being investigated in Kochi.

“The Central Income Tax Department carried out a nearly 24-hour-long raid on jewellery shop owner Nupur Saha at Rangali Residency in Dhubri, amid allegations of large-scale financial irregularities. A team of around 10 officials meticulously examined the accounts and assets of Saha’s business premises, raising serious questions about the source of his wealth and his business practices. The operation, which sealed the showroom and interrogated employees, is part of a larger crackdown targeting Saha’s business network. Saha is accused of embezzling crores from Assam government contracts—particularly from the Social Welfare Department and projects for Scheduled Tribes—which were allegedly laundered to fund business ventures in Guwahati, Dhubri, and Barpeta. Investigators have focused on what they call the ‘white business of black money.’ This is not Saha’s first run-in with officials; the Enforcement Directorate had previously raided his firms in Guwahati. The Income Tax investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to scrutinize Saha’s financial records and assets.”

In Mizoram, a golden-haired tube-nosed bat was found.

A team from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has recorded the rare golden-haired tube-nosed bat (Harpiola isodon) in Mizoram for the first time, extending the species’ known global range westward by over 1,000 km. The discovery, made during a systematic survey in Hmuifang village, Aizawl district, was confirmed through DNA analysis and comparison with museum specimens, including an earlier find from Lunglei district. First identified in Taiwan in 2006, this species is known from southern China and Vietnam, likely inhabiting mountain forests across Southeast Asia. This finding raises India’s confirmed bat species tally to 136 and highlights the need to conserve northeast India’s mountain forest habitats within global biodiversity hotspots.

Mizoram CM examines NHIDCL projects and notes the pressing need for road maintenance.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on September 23 chaired a review meeting with officials of the NHIDCL at the Chief Minister’s Conference Hall, attended by PWD Minister Vanlalhlana and senior state officials. Expressing concern over the poor state of several highways, he pointed out widespread surface damage and potholes, urging the corporation to ensure proper maintenance during the Contractor Liability Period.

Highlighting the challenges of road durability in a region marked by heavy rainfall and long monsoons, Lalduhoma suggested adopting rigid pavement technology, which NHIDCL noted is already under examination by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He pressed for quick implementation.

The Chief Minister also voiced concern over the collapse of the Thingfala Mamte ‘T’ Baptist Church, allegedly linked to road-cutting works, with officials confirming that assessment reports have been submitted to NHIDCL headquarters. In response, NHIDCL’s Regional Executive Director Pu Adelbert Susngi assured prompt action on all concerns and briefed the state authorities on on-ground project challenges.

Since 2022, 3,518 foreign nationals have been arrested in Tripura: Chief Minister Manik Saha.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha informed the state Assembly on Tuesday that 3,518 foreign nationals, mostly Bangladeshi citizens, have been arrested since 2022 for illegal entry. Responding to a notice by Tipra Motha Party MLA Ranjit Debbarma, he said special task forces have been set up in all eight districts to curb infiltration and monitor border-related crimes, in coordination with central directives.

Sharing year-wise data, Saha reported that 965 were arrested in 2022, 1,014 in 2023, 947 in 2024, and 390 up to August 31, 2025. Of these, 2,739 individuals have already been repatriated, including 894 in 2022, 696 in 2023, 676 in 2024, and 441 this year.

The chief minister noted that barbed wire fencing along parts of the 856-km India-Bangladesh border remains incomplete, complicating security efforts. He emphasized that the state “will not compromise on the issue of infiltration” and is also acting against the use of fake documents.

Following the “missing” of 4,000 MT of coal, Meghalaya ordered a further inspection.

The Meghalaya government has informed the High Court that it has ordered a fresh verification of coal dump sites in South West Khasi Hills after nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of coal spotted during an aerial survey could not be traced on the ground. In an affidavit filed on Monday, the state assured that a final report would be submitted within a month.

A three-member committee of senior officials, formed to probe the mismatch, found it “highly improbable” that such a large volume of coal could disappear unnoticed, attributing the inconsistency to incomplete datasets, environmental factors and the absence of geotagged coordinates. The committee also highlighted continued risks of illegal cross-border coal smuggling, recommending stronger surveillance and inter-agency enforcement.

Meanwhile, former minister Kyrmen Shylla drew widespread criticism after quipping that the missing coal may have been “washed away by rains into Bangladesh,” remarks denounced by civil society groups and opposition parties as “absurd” and “irresponsible.”

The case comes amid continued judicial scrutiny of Meghalaya’s coal sector, where despite a 2014 NGT ban on unscientific mining and transport, multiple inquiries have confirmed the persistence of illegal rat-hole mining. The High Court has said it will keep monitoring the matter to ensure transparency and enforcement of environmental safeguards.