Members of the heavy metal band Petra

Kohima to rock to Petra tunes

After Shillong and Aizawl, it’s now time for Kohima to rock to the international heavy metal band Petra.

Two years after performing in the Meghalaya and Mizoram capitals, the band will perform near Kohima on May 13.The concert will be held at the Naga Heritage Village, 15km from Kohima.

Tickets have been priced at Rs 500, Rs 300 and Rs 200. The organisers are expecting over 20,000 fans to turn up for the concert, which is being sponsored by Gen-X and Life-Pro, both voluntary organisations working for Naga youth. Part of the concert money will be used for charity .

The organisers said elaborate security arrangements are being put in place for the safety of the band members. Adequate police personnel will also be deployed at the venue of the concert.

Eric Miechieo, a die-hard Petra fan, said he would not miss the concert. “I’ll definitely attend their concert this time,” Miechieo, who had missed the band’s performance in Shillong, said.

A Christian band, Petra has a huge fan following in Nagaland. Formed in 1972, the band is regarded by many as the pioneers of Christian rock and contemporary Christian music. Devoted Naga Christians even play the band’s songs for the congregation.

e-governance

The mouse, it seems, is finally set to take over Dispur, the seat of administration. The Assam government wants all its employees to be computer savvy as a part of its initiative to get into e-governance mode in letter and spirit.

In a major policy change, the secretariat administration department has made the knowledge of computers a must-have qualification to apply for the post of junior administrative assistants (JAA), known as lower division assistants till two years back.

An official in the secretariat said nearly 200 JAA with computer knowledge would be recruited as it was difficult to train a person when he or she gets absorbed because of work pressure. He also said it was difficult to train older staff as they were basi cally reluctant to embrace change. “With the Right to Information Act coming into force and widespread use of computers, it will be proper to absorb people who have functional knowledge of computers. It will help in get ting things done swiftly and efficiently,” he said.

Touch of glam

This year, Raj Bhavan will add a touch of glamour to its annual Bihu celebrations on Friday. The main attraction of the extravaganza will be the performance by Zubeen Garg, Tarali Sarma and a host of other artistes. Governor Lt Gen. (retd) Ajai Singh, a great fan of Bhupen Hazarika, had also invited the maestro but he expressed his inability to make it because of “prior engagement”.

The grand function, however, has set the political grapevine buzzing with speculation that it was Singh’s last Bihu function in the state as governor, hence the desire to celebrate it in a grand way. “Singh’s term ends in June and it is unlikely that he will get an extension,” a legislator said on hearing about the function.