Development / Northeast

MOREH (Manipur), May 10 ? Indo-Myanmar border trade in this border town in Chandel district was severely affected due to non-plying of vehicles between Imphal and this border town following demand for ?heavy tax? from vehicle owners by underground NSCN(I-M), reports PTI. Sources in the police and Vehicle Owner?s Association said they would not ply vehicles unless adequate security arrangements were made by the State authorities. The NSCN(I-M) had served notices to all owners of vehicles plying along Imphal-Moreh National Highway No. 39 that unless tax was paid by them, they would not be...

GUWAHATI, May 9 ? The North Eastern Handicrafts & Handlooms Development Corporation (NEH & HDC), generated a sale of more than Rs 6 crore 20 lakh as against the target of Rs 6 crore through handicrafts and handloom during the year 2001-2002, stated a PIB release. The Corporation conducted 54 exhibitions and several North East Crafts? fairs and participated in the Industrial Trade Fairs along with the retail sales of handloom of corporation in Shillong, Guwahati, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai and Delhi. The Corporation is also implementing UNDP Cane & Bamboo Design Development Project covering 17...

Imphal, May 09: Indo-Myanmar border trade has been severely affected following the indefinite transport strike called by the Imphal-Moreh Road Transporters' Joint Action Committee on the Imphal-Moreh Road from today protesting the imposition of hefty vehicle "taxes" by UGs. Goods and items worth several crores of rupees are transacted daily at Moreh and its adjoining Myanmar town, Namphallong. Plying of both passenger and goods vehicles came to a screeching halt on the Imphal-Moreh road as a result of the strike. Trucks and auto-rickshaws have not been allowed to ply. The JAC has made stern...

NEW DELHI, April 30 ? All villages in the North-east would be electrified by 2012. This assurance was given to the all-party delegation of the Assam Legislative Assembly by Union Power Minister Suresh Prabhu here today. Prabhu further disclosed that his Ministry was considering a proposal not to make security-related expenditure part of the cost of power projects. Prabhu said he had already taken up the issue with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister. A final decision is likely to be taken soon, he assured. The all-party delegation led by Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker, Prithibi...

NEW DELHI, April 29 ? As many as 75 of the total 86 operational airports in the country were consistently making losses with Guwahati topping the list incurring losses of over Rs 25 crore in 2000-01, the Lok Sabha was informed today, reports PTI. Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said in a written reply that Trivandrum (Rs.9.96 crore), Nagpur (Rs. 9.85 crore) and Lucknow (Rs. 9.21 crore) are the among major loss-making airports.

GUWAHATI, April 24 ? Encouraged by the increasing volume of trade between Assam and Bangladesh during the past several years, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 12 crore for development of two trade points in the State. The fund has been sanctioned for Sutarkandi and Mankachar in order to upgrade the existing infrastructure. Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the State industry department had already initiated work to develop the Sutarkandi point keeping in view the trade potential in the State. ?We have received Rs 1 crore so far for setting up a truck terminus and bank...

GUWAHATI, April 24 ? In a written reply to Sri P Prabhakar Reddy in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Sri Jagmohan said that in order to boost the flow of tourists in the country, the Government in its budget proposals for 2002-03 has announced the following tax concessions:

l Exemption of air travel tax from and to North East.

l Service tax exemption given earlier to be extended for one more

year. In cases of functions and banquets where the entire bill is

for catering services, no service tax would be charged.

l Expenditure tax on hotels henceforth to...

DIBRUGARH, April 21 ? In a gesture to enhance border trade with the neighbouring countries, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today announced that a border road between Myanmar and Thailand would be built soon for economic development of the north-eastern region, reports PTI. Addressing a rally here after inaugurating the construction work of the rail-cum-road bridge at Bogibeel, Vajpayee said an agreement would be soon signed between Myanmar and the Indian Government for the construction of the road. The Prime Minister said the proposed road would help in border trade and open the North...

DIBRUGARH, April 21? Union Minister for Disinvestment and Department of North-east Region Arun Shourie today said that all schemes and projects submitted by the north-eastern States are cleared within 15 days, reports PTI. Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of commencement of work of the rail-road Bogibeel bridge here, Shourie said that allocation of funds by each ministry for the North-east has been increased by three times. ?What this government has done for the North-east under the leadership of Vajpayee, has not been done in the last 50 years,? Shourie said. Increasing air...

AGARTALA, April 21? Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has appealed to Union Government to include this land-locked State in the proposed South Asian trilateral highway system linking Thailand, Myanmar and India. Sarkar, who is presently in Delhi in connection with CPM Politburo meeting, met External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh on Friday and discussed several issues relating to Tripura?s inclusion in the international transport communication network and trade with the neighbouring countries. Sarkar pointed out that recently foreign ministries of India, Thailand and Myanmar agreed to...