Development

DARRANGA MELA (Nalbari), Nov 7 ? The hundred-year-old Darranga Mela town of Nalbari district (now in Bagsa) situated in the Indo-Bhutan border area today wears a deserted look following the ?Operation Flush Out? carried out by the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGB) against the Indian militants especially those of ULFA and NDFB camping in Bhutan territory in December last year.

As the Bhutanese authority strictly restricted the free movement of Bhutanese people to the Indian side and closed the Samdrup Jongkhar main gate and Sengaline gate, the flow of the Bhutanese people to the once prosperous...

DONGKAMOKAM, Nov 7 ? Khorsing Engti, Chief Executive Member (CEM), Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), Bajong Tisso, Deputy Chairman, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) and Sing Teron, Executive Member (EM), Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), visited the flood-affected areas to assess the magnitude of loss in the recent flood wave in west Karbi Anglong.

It is to be noted that in the recent floods, hundreds of families of West Karbi Anglong under Baithalangso and Kheroni police stations were rendered homeless and almost all the major roads were damaged. Due to heavy landslides...

GUWAHATI, Nov 7 ? So once again development is going to cost the city?s environment. These trees have so far been providing the GNB Road area a shield with a verdant cover, against the pollutants. They have been a part of the environment in this part of the city for quite a long time. They will be lost to oblivion within a day or two.

These vibrant plants are now standing on the plots belonging to residential and office compounds owned by the Government and the private firms and in cases, by some institutions. The district administration has recently acquired these plots for the purpose of...

GUWAHATI, Nov 7 ? The State and Central Governments have signed an agreement with the World Bank for the implementation of a Rs 1024.53-crore Assam Agricultural Competitiveness Project (AACP) from February 1 next year. This was disclosed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi here today.

Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said that the agreement was signed in Washington on October 25. He said that as per the agreement, the World Bank assistance to the total project cost would be Rs 736.08 crore, while the contribution of the State Government would be Rs 95.45 crore and the contribution...

GUWAHATI, Nov 7 ? The Government has not been able to establish contact with leaders of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) for the finalisation of the formal ceasefire agreement, said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today.

Addressing a press conference today, Gogoi admitted a communication gap with the NDFB leadership and said that efforts are on to get in touch with the leaders of the outfit. He said that the Government has already instructed the security forces to go slow on operations against the NDFB. He assured that the Government would give safe passage and security to the...

DIBRUGARH, Nov 6 ? Dorjee Khandu, Minister for Relief& Rehabilitation, Power, NCER & Settlement along with the newly elected MLA of Tawang constituency Tsewang Dondup paid a two-day visit to Tawang recently after being sworn in as a cabinet minister.

Besides being given a guard of honour, the minister was welcomed by the Deputy Commissioner and all heads of offices of Tawang district. At a meeting with all heads of offices of the district, the minister said that the power department is the backbone of the state?s economy and the only revenue earning department in the state.

He assured that a...

GUWAHATI, Nov 6?Environment policy analyst Ruchi Pant has observed that the Draft National Environment Policy (DNEP) is unwilling to give legal recognition to the traditional rights of forest dwelling tribes. She was making her observations in connection with the draft?s approach towards the environmental issues concerning the NE region.

Her observations on the DNEP came in response to the request made by The Assam Tribune for offering her comments on the draft policy document, particularly in relation to the NE region. Pant worked in this region of the country earlier as an environment...

GUWAHATI, Nov 6 ? The Assam Government has placed a demand for taking up of short, medium and long term measures for controlling the fury of floods before the task force constituted by the Prime Minister to suggest measures for dealing with the problem and according to an estimate, an amount of Rs 517 crore would be required for immediate repair of the damages caused to the flood control structures.

Official sources told The Assam Tribune here today that three sub groups of the task force have been constituted to facilitate proper compilation of information within the stipulated time frame...

SHILLONG, Nov 5 ? The MS Swaminathan Research Foundation has said that the foodgrain production in the gross cropped area in Meghalaya has declined over the past decade, coming down from 57.27 per cent in the triennium ending 1990 to 51.32 per cent in the next ending 2000.

The Chennai-based foundation, in its discussion paper for Meghalaya on the 'mission 2007 initiative for hunger-free India' said that share of wheats and coarse cereals has also declined and more significantly rice production has decreased by about 4.61 per cent. The place of foodgrains has been taken by vegetables which saw...

KOHIMA, Nov 5 ? The NSCN-IM yesterday assured the people that the outfit would not enter into any agreement with the Centre without their views and opinions and sought support of all sections of Nagas to end the protracted conflict.

The NSCN-IM collective leadership also extended ?a hand of friendship? to all Nagas, irrespective of their past and standing (on Naga issue) and appealed to all of them to join in working together for ?a peaceful and honourable solution? to the problem.

In a message to the Naga people, the collective leadership assured them that NSCN-IM was committed ?to the fact...