Development / Northeast

New Delhi, May 24: Making a case for a “different approach” towards the region, new Union minister P.R. Kyndiah today said he intended to add teeth to the department for development of the northeastern region. Kyndiah said “peace through development” was the need of the hour and Doner would ensure that.

“All efforts will be made to bring the Northeast on a par with the mainland in terms of economic development. Flow of funds will be ensured and the non-lapsable pool will be rationalised,” he told the media at Vigyan Bhavan, where the department is based.

The Congress leader from Meghalaya is...

SHILLONG, May 24 – After stopping coal export to the neighbouring country of Bangladesh from Meghalaya for 22 days, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday allowed ‘safe passage’ to coal-laden trucks to ply on the road along the international border at Borsora in the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The BSF had ostensibly suspended traffic movement along the border road on security concerns, thereby bringing about a complete halt to the export of coal to Bangladesh from the state. Coal exporters, however, described the move as an example of the alleged “highhandedness” resorted to...

GUWAHATI, May 24 – The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have joined hands to set up a marketing centre for handloom and handicraft products of the North East at Guwahati to channelise corporate spendings on craft products.

A memorandum of undertaking was signed recently between NEDFi and CII to improve handloom and handicraft products of the region. Under this initiative, artisans, institutions and organisations who are directly involved with artisans would be benefited to a great extent and would facilitate improvement of...

GUWAHATI, May 23 – Sounding upbeat over Dr Manmohan Singh assuming office as the Prime Minister of the country, the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) has expressed confidence that under his able stewardship the state and the North-east would be able to tide over its multitude of problems, especially those concerning the poor industrialisation scenario of the region.

Terming Dr Singh’s elevation to the top post as a very good thing to have happened for the region, NEDFi chairman and managing director JP Saikia today told The Assam Tribune that the industrial policy for the...

GUWAHATI, May 22 — The industry circles in North East has high hopes on the new Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as he has been elected thrice to the Rajya Sabha from the State and on top of that he is more of an economist than a political leader. Talking to The Assam Tribune, the secretary of the Federation of Industries and Commerce of North eastern Region (FINER) Prasanta Goswami pointed out that Dr Singh knows the problems faced by the industries in Assam and it would be easier for him to formulate schemes for the industrialisation of the region. He also pointed out that Dr Singh properly...

GUWAHATI, May 21 – “The Northeast Frontier Railway is gradually emerging with an identity characterised by better performance both in optimum utilisation of resources, and on the front of manpower management,” said Trikalagya Rabha, CPRO, N F Railways in an informal press meet today.

The recently appointed CPRO, explaining the reasons behind his claim stated that as a technology driven organisation, N F Railway has gradually augmented its reliance on modern management practices, so that expenses are reduced and earnings are enhanced. Putting at rest fears of retrenchment of employees, he...

GUWAHATI, May 20 – With Dr Manmohan Singh, who has been elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam thrice all set to take over as the Prime Minister tomorrow, the State unit of the Congress and the Assam Government are in an upbeat mood hoping that the State would get special attention from the new Prime Minister. On the other hand, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is of the view that there was nothing to be elated over the election of Dr Singh as the Prime Minister.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, the Education Minister Pankaj Bora, who is also the State Government spokesman, said that Assam and the...

GUWAHATI, May 12 – A happy blend of natural elements and human enterprise carries immense possibilities for the production and marketing of ornamental fish in the North-east. Globally the market for ornamental fish stands at around 50,000 crore rupees, to which the Indian producers contribute a miniscule four crore worth of produce. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), which opened its office in the city last year, is now planning to play a major role in the export of ornamental fish from Assam and some of the neighbouring states. The strategy for identifying the North...

Guwahati, May 10: The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has constituted a multi-disciplinary committee to oversee the implementation of environmental safeguards for the Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project. Sources said the nine-member committee, drawn from various fields connected with environment, was constituted after the ministry of environment and forests made it mandatory to include environmental safeguards while clearing the project.

The committee comprises the general manager of the project, a representative of the ministry of environment and forests, NHPC officer in...

SHILLONG, May 7 – The North Eastern Council has sanctioned over Rs 2.87 crore to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and Rs 6.55 crore to the Border roads Organisation (BRO) for carrying out infrastructure development in the region, reports PTI. The AAI was sanctioned the money as ‘on account’ payment of grant for incurring an additional expenditure on improvement of the NEC sponsored airports in the region during 2003-04. The scheme was being implemented by the AAI.

The Nec also sanctioned a sum of rs 6.55 crore to the Border Roads Development Board of the Union Surface Transport Ministry...