Development

GUWAHATI, Nov 14 ?The Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development (OKD Institute) has proposed to hold a four-day international seminar on the role played by the North-east region of India in the greater cooperation between South and Southeast Asia from November 16 in the city.

Disclosing this at a press conference here today, Director of the OKD Institute Prof ANS Ahmed said that the seminar was organised in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, New Delhi and the ICSSR, New Delhi. While planning the seminar, Ahmed said that they had something academic in their mind.

Referri...

IMPHAL, Nov 13 ? Under the directive of the Centre, the Manipur Government led by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is applying two-pronged strategies in dealing with insurgents. In the carrot and stick policy, over 25 rebels of various outfits eschewed the path of violence and joined the national mainstream to start a new life after surrendering to the Chief Minister.

Around 200 ultras were killed, 1704 cadres of several outfits were arrested along with 247 sophisticated weapons during the period between March 7, 2002 and first week of November. The strategy is being applied with increasing...

IMPHAL, Nov 13 ? Chief Minister Okram Ibobi?s plan for development of his district in a phased manner is in a fix due to intervention by the Gauhati High Court. The Chief Minister who was elected from Khangabok Assembly constituency in Thoubal district said that Thoubal Bazaar would be developed very soon with funds from the Union Ministry of Urban Development. A proposal for development of Thoubal Bazaar at a cost of around Rs 45 crore has been sent agreed by the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

However, the Gauhati High Court?s Imphal Bench, in its interim order on November 9 has...

SHILLONG, Nov 13 ? The two-day Wangala or the hundred-drum festival, the most important festival of the indigenous Garo community, came to a close on Saturday amidst traditional fanfare. Wangala is a harvest festival held in honour of Saljong, the sun-god of fertility. It marks the end of a period of toil in the fields, bringing a good yield of crops.

The festival was celebrated in Asanang, 18 km off West Garo hills district town of Tura, where the first hundred-drum festival was organised on December 6-7, 1976. State Public Works Minister Mukul Sangma and Tourism Minister Deborah C Marak...

IMPHAL, Nov 13 ? Despite hindrances from various quarters, Manipur Government, for the first time in a decade, has announced improvement in its financial situation and has thanked the Congress-led UPA Government for it. Congress-led ruling Secular Progressive Front government spokesperson Gaikhangam has said that the Ibobi ministry is now able to release monthly salaries for its employees, pensions and other bills more regularly.

Gaikhangam who is also the Power and Information Minister, in a statement said ban on appointments in the state government departments will ultimately be lifted...

AGARTALA, Nov 12 ? Tripura Government has requested the Centre to reconsider its decision of cancelling the quota of gas supply for the proposed 280 MW gas-based power project in the state. ?This decision of the Petroleum Ministry is against the interest of the state which would emerge as a major hurdle for our initiative to set up gas-based industries in the state and the North East Power Corporation (NEPCO) would also face monetary loss,? Power Minister Manik Dey told reporters.

Chairman of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) was directed by the Petroleum ministry on October 7 last to...

SHILLONG, Nov 12 ? A four-time Grammy Award winning band from the USA, ?Petra? will perform in the north-eastern region with rock concerts here and at Aizawl this winter. ?Petra?, formed 35 years ago with seven million records sold to its credit, is making an entry into the region for the first time when they perform here on November 27 and at the Mizoram capital on December 3.

Sam Rajkumar, director of Bangalore-based Common Colors Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the organiser of the mega musical event, told a press conference here today that the band had performed in south India in 2002.

Internationa...

GUWAHATI, Nov 12 ? At a time when a war of words is going on between Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and the All Assam Students? Union (AASU) on the issue of infiltration of foreigners into Assam, it is pertinent to note what the Law Commission of India had to say about the problem in its 175th report, submitted in 2000 as it pointed out the grave threat posed to the country by illegal immigration.

The Law Commission, in its report said, ? the entry of illegal migrants and other undesirable aliens into India posed a grave threat not only to our democracy but to the security of India, especially in...

SHILLONG, Nov 12 ? The North Eastern Council (NEC) has sanctioned Rs 375 lakh to the north eastern States for the development of bamboo sector which has been identified as a key area of development in the region. A spokesman of the Council said today that the sanctions have been made during October to Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur under the scheme for ?Development of bamboo related activity.?

A sanction of Rs 50 lakh have been made to Assam Government for implementation of the scheme under which bamboo plantations would be raised. The scheme would also...

GUWAHATI, Nov 12 ? The eastern districts of Meghalaya are fast becoming a major base of the secessionist United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to launch operations against the security forces and civilian targets in Assam. This development has forced the security agencies to put on their thinking caps to try and nip trouble in the bud.

Security sources here disclosed that the accounts given some the recently apprehended ULFA militants indicates that the outfit has decided to take advantage of the lax security cover in the northern fringes of Meghalaya in the Khasi Hills districts to set up...