Development

GUWAHATI, Nov 29 ? Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has mooted the preparation of a blueprint to deal with the problem of unemployment in the entire North East. The blueprint would seek to adopt a ?radical approach? beyond merely offering government jobs, Minister of State for Planning and Development Himanta Biswa Sarma disclosed today.

Trying to defend the recent visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which has been severely attacked by the Opposition parties as having failed to yield anything substantial to the State in terms of funds, Sarma said during a press conference here that Singh had...

IMPHAL, Nov 29, ? Indian Army have claimed that it has destroyed a major camp of the separatist Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) in an interior area of Churachandpur district in Manipur bordering Myanmar and Mizoram. The advancing Indian troops have started deploying in Khongtal areas in Chandel district of Manipur sharing border with Myanmar for large-scale counter-insurgency operations there, official sources said here on Monday.

Army using the Remote Sensing Satellite System had detected at least 120 militant camps in interior parts of the three districts of Churachandpur, Chandel and...

GUWAHATI, Nov 29 ? The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) today made it clear that talks with the Government of India would be possible only when the Government recognises the genuine demand of the outfit.

Talking to The Assam Tribune over telephone from an undisclosed location, the ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah said, ?The ball is in the court of the Government of India. If the Government of India recognises our genuine demand for sovereignty, we shall come forward for discussions.?

The ULFA leader asserted that the sovereignty of Assam is not negotiable. ?We are not interested in...

TURA, Nov 28 ?The Meghalaya Government has set up two ropeway projects, the first ever, in the Garo Hills at Timbogre and Chinabat to Chiwategre interior villages under Rongram C&RD Block of West Garo Hills. The two projects were inaugurated on November 25.

The ropeway from Chinabat to Chiwategre was inaugurated by C&RD Minister Brenning A Sangma, while the local MLA and Parliamentary Secretary i/c Agriculture & Irrigation Mr Sengman R Marak inaugurated the ropeway at Timbogre.

These ropeways, with an official capacity of 50 kg per trolley, were constructed in February this year with a total...

GUWAHATI, Nov 28 ? A group of reserve forest under Dhubri and Haltugaon forest division namely Sarpamari, Srigram Arearjhar, Bagholdoba, Kolobari, Sagalkuti, Nyakgaon and the adjacent wildlife sanctuary Chakrasila (famous four golden langur) together with the international wetland ?Dhirbil? are under continuous pressure of destruction, a press release said.

Earlier these forests were of the category of ?rain forest? and home of various rare flora and fauna. The international wetland ?Dhirbil? is situated in the centre of the reserve forest and wildlife sanctuary. This beel provides all sorts...

GUWAHATI, Nov 28 ? The Oil India Limited and the Assam Gas Company are bringing in a team of experts from abroad for exploration of natural gas beneath the bed of Brahmaputra. This was disclosed by the Union Petroleum Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyer, here today.

Addressing a Press conference here today, the Minister said, ? what petroleum was for the 20th century, gas will be the same during the 21st century.? He said that the OIL made a major breakthrough with the recovery of two gas fields in upper Assam. He revealed that from nine million standard cubic metres per day in 1980s, the gas...

NEW DELHI, Nov 28 ? THe banned insurgent outfit, National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), active in Assam for a separate Bodoland, wants to give peace a chance and has expressed its willingness to hold talks with the Centre.

?We want to give a chance to India for a peaceful resolution of the conflict,? said Nabla Daimary or D R Nabla, chief of the NDFB, which has been held responsible for several killings and bomb blasts in different parts of Assam, in an interview.

It is understood that some top leaders of the outlawed group were here recently to hold informal parleys with Union Home...

GUWAHATI, Nov 28 ? Noted litterateur and Jnanpith Award winner Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami today asserted that hope was still there as far as effecting a dialogue between the banned ULFA and the Government was concerned, and what was needed was a ?subtle and humanist approach? and a helping hand from all concerned.

?I would say the chance of a dialogue between the two is still 50:50. The militants, though agitated, are still desirous of having a talk with the Centre, and that is very important,? Dr Goswami, who has been playing a major role in trying to bring the militants to the negotiating...

GUWAHATI, Nov 28 ? The Kamal Kumari National Awards for Art and Culture and Science and Technology, 2002 and 2003, and the Siva Prasad Barooah National Award for Journalism, 2002 and 2003, were presented at a function at the Pragjyoti-ITA Centre for Performing Arts, Machkhowa, today.

The recipients of the Kamal Kumari awards were Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi (Art and Culture-2002), Dr Samir Bhattacharya (Science and Technology-2002), Jahnu Barua (Art and Culture-2003), and Dr Jitendra Nath Goswami (Science and Technology-2003). Teesta Setalvad (2002) and Prannoy Roy were the recipients of the...

ITANAGAR, Nov 27 ? Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran today visited the border areas in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh to assess the trade potential at the international border there with China and Bhutan, reports PTI.

Saran, who arrived here on a three-day visit yesterday, accompanied by Chief Minister Gegong Apang visited several points, including Gelling bordering China. After a night halt at Yingkion he will visit Tawang tomorrow which borders China and Bhutan, official sources said here.

Upper Siang Deputy Commissioner G Padu said there are two border trade points with China in the...