Development / Northeast

New Delhi, May 3: Taking a cue from the home ministry, the department for Development of North Eastern Region (Doner) has decided to publish its own booklet that will have news related to the department’s activities. To be named Doner Newsline, it will be a quarterly magazine that is likely to be sent all over the country to government departments, educational institutions, NGOs and publishing houses.

Doner secretary Reva Nayyar said the rationale behind such an initiative was to disseminate information on the Northeast and the measures taken by the department for development of the region.

“W...

GUWAHATI, April 11 – Traditional institutions in the North-East are surviving the onslaught of time and evolving into a major vehicle for building peace and development, reports PTI. Despite the impact of modernisation and technology, the communities in the North East have retained their old systems and institutions embracing both the old and new elements while at the same time co-existing and remaining functional, say experts.

“I have never seen such transformation of people in such a short time – from almost a Neolithic cultural setting propelling into the modern times without facing any...

NEW DELHI, April 8 – The stagnating border trade between the north-eastern region and neighbouring Myanmar may take a new turn, with a Joint Task all set to engage in a consultative process to identify ways and means of increasing bilateral trade. The unexpected change in the scenario is the outcome of the mutually beneficial decision by the two neighbours to expand trade to approximately USD1 billion by 2006 that would facilitate a greater synergy between Myanmar and the north-eastern States.

The joint Task Force would identify appropriate channels to enhance the business-to-business...

GUWAHATI, April 7 – The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd. (NEEPCO) celebrated the 29th anniversary of its establishment as NEEPCO Day on April 2 last. Held at corporate headquarters, the NEEPCO Day function was largely attended by the employees along with their families and guests. This was stated in a press release.

The function started with hoisting of NEEPCO Flag by SC Sharma, chairman-cum-managing director, followed by guard of honour. Dedicating the NEEPCO flag, Sharma urged the employees to renew their commitment to responsibly harness the power potential of the north...

SHILLONG, April 5 : The Centre has restored the budget allocation for the North Eastern Council (NEC) to Rs 500 crore for the year 2003-2004, NEC Secretary PL Thanga announced today. Earlier, the Union Finance Ministry had made a cut on the NEC budget allocation by Rs 104.71 crore in January 2004 and the amount was restored to its original position due to personal intervention of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Thanga told reporters. The Prime Minister had communicated with the Planning Commission, Finance Ministry and DONER in this regard, he said.

GUWAHATI, April 4 – Environ, a revolutionary group advocating conservation, management and utilisation of nature and natural resources of the North East, will carry out a survey of the region’s natural resources and develop the concept of resource utilisation through tree plantation, development of eco-tourism, fisheries and other agricultural activities.

The aim of the survey is to ensure proper utilisation of every bit of land and human resource to make the region self-dependent as far as possible.

Environ president Amarjyoti Kashyap said that the group would also take active part to make...

New Delhi, March 9: India may be ?shining? but the Northeast is not. Actually, it rarely does and this admission has come right from the Centre. The ministry of non-conventional energy sources has turned down proposals for over 800 solar photovoltaic projects, saying that ?the sun hardly shines for more than 100 days in a year in the region?.

The Northeast receives the highest amount of rainfall every year and Mawsynram near Cherrapunjee has been identified as the wettest place on earth. However, there is no silver lining on this cloud.

According to an official of the ministry, norms stipulate...

Guwahati, March 7: The Assam government will soon set up trade offices of the neighbouring countries here. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said this during an interaction with the foreign participants today ? the concluding day of the 11th International Guwahati Trade Fair at the Judges Field.

?We want to develop trade ties with the South East Asian countries. This will help promote trade and commerce and develop contacts with the traders of these countries,? Gogoi said.

After a t?te-?-t?te with them, the chief minister, accompanied by his wife, went on a whirlwind tour of all the foreign stalls...

Guwahati, March 5: Bangkok Airways may well fly into the space vacated by Air-India in the Guwahati-Bangkok sector.

Assam industry minister Bhubaneswar Kalita disclosed that the airline has evinced interest in connecting the city with the Thai capital. ?A delegation from the airline will visit the state next month to carry out a feasibility study of the sector,? he said here last night.

The minister said he and a delegation of the Federation of Industries of North East Region (Finer) had held preliminary talks with officials of Bangkok Airways at Yangon last month.

Kalita and the Finer team...

Medziphema, Feb. 24: The country?s top horticulturists congregated at the School of Agricultural Science Research and Development here today and exchanged their views on making the sector more sustainable in the Northeast.

Participating at a three-day seminar at the institution, more than 150 delegates from across the country are putting their heads together to prepare a horticulture roadmap for the region. The experts were working on a model for diversifying agriculture, especially in the Northeast, because the bio-diversity here and in Sikkim is ideal for horticulture and organic farming.

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