AGARTALA

Bird flu raging uncontrolled in neighbouring Bangladesh was proving to be a continuing threat to Tripura, where culling was under way after the outbreak of the H5N1 virus in the State. "Even if we cull all our birds within a five km radius of the disease-hit areas, bird-flu affected areas in Bangladesh are very close to our border villages and there are places which fall within 100 yards of affected areas in the neighbouring country,' Animal Resource Department Director Asish Roy Burman said today.

AGARTALA

Culling began today in bird-flu hit Nadilag and its surrounding areas of West Tripura district as the state government said neighbouring Bangladesh could be the possible source of infection. As the H5N1 virus was confirmed in blood samples of dead birds from Nadilag village by the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal, the authorities started the operation, setting a target of culling 20,000 chicken in eight gram panchayat areas surrounding Nadilag in four days.

Bird flu was reported in a new area in the virus-hit West Tripura district as culling operations began today to kill 60,000 birds in eight Gram Panchayat areas. Bird flu virus was detected in blood samples of dead birds from Nadilag village of Bishalgarh subdivision at the High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal yesterday, official sources said. Culling would begin at Nadilag after it was notified by the Central Government, the sources said.

After a fresh outbreak of avian flu in the West Tripura district of Mohanpur, 20 kilometres from Agartala, the state authorities have ordered a culling operation from today, at the same time announcing stringent measures to check import and movement of chicken and other birds to and within the state.

Personnel of the Rapid Response Team of the Animal Resources Department have fanned out across eight gram panchayat areas of West Tripura district where culling will begin tomorrow in the wake of a fresh bird-flu attack, the second time in a month, in the State. An estimated 60,000 birds would be culled in the eight gram panchayat areas, which fall within the five-km radius of Mohanpur village samples from where had tested positive on April 21, Dr Ajoy Saha, in-charge of State laboratory of ARD, told PTI today.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday sanctioned revised cost estimate of 100 MW Tripura Gas-based power project amounting to Rs 623.44 crore.

The Project being executed by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) is located at Monarchak, West Tripura. The revised cost includes interest amount of Rs. 51.09 crore during construction.

In 1930, the ruler of the then princely state of Tripura commissioned the British company Martin and Burns to construct a summer resort for him. The Maharaja got his palace nine years later: in the