Development

GUWAHATI, Nov 5 ? The 12-hour Guwahati bandh called by the VHP, the Bajrang Dal, the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Marcha in protest against the demolition of a Hanuman temple on the riverfront at Uzanbazar by the district administration, paralysed normal life in the city. The bandh was from 5 am to 5 pm.

Shops and business establishments remained closed and private city buses were off the road. While educational institutions and Government offices were open, attendance was thin. Private vehicles, however, continued to ply on the city roads as well as the national highways. No untoward...

GUWAHATI, Nov 4 ? Reliance Telecom Limited (RTL), the mobile phone licensee for the North-east circle, will be launching its services in Agartala town shortly. Reliance will have two service providers, M/s Air Waves and M/s Connoisseurs Technologies Pvt Ltd, who have opened customer service centres at HG Bask Road and Jagannath Bari Road respectively, an RTL press release said here.

RTL will initially offer only the Talk Light 99 tariff plan in Agartala. Due to non-receipt of point of interconnect (POI), from Agartala Tax of BSNL, all calls made from Reliance Mobile at Agartala shall be routed...

DIMAPUR, Nov 3 ? The Inquiry Committee on October 2 twin bomb blasts is yet to receive Forensic experts? reports till date. Nagaland Commissioner TN Mannen who heads the three member state inquiry committee on the twin blasts, which submitted its report to the state government on October 28 last, revealed today.

Due to the delay in receiving the forensic expert?s report, the commission had delayed submission of its report, said Mannen. ?Probably they are examining. Hopefully they will send us the report soon,? said Mannen.

Referring to the various claims of arrests being made so far, he said...

GUWAHATI, Nov 3 ? Even as a world wide campaign is on against the drug menace, opium poses a serious threat to Singpho people living in Margherita of the State. The problem has reached such a magnitude that more and more youths are getting attracted towards opium.

Though the Singpho people used to consume opium during 18th century, the problem became apparent in 90s following free flow of opium from the Indo-Myanmar border. According to local people there are about 17,000 opium addicts in and around Margherita. The addicts may be more as no proper survey is yet to be initiated so far.

?Opium...

NEW DELHI, Nov 3 ? Calling for a joint action plan between the north eastern states and the Centre to counter attacks on soft targets, Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil today said that a holistic approach addressing the concerns of the region combined with strong anti-insurgency measures was the way forward to a final solution to the problems.

The Union Home Minister, however, cautioned the intelligence agencies and chiefs of state police forces against being complacent asking them to utilise the ceasefire period to collect maximum information on the outfits for future use.

?In some states...

NEW DELHI, Nov 3 ? Reports of detention of top leaders of NDFB by Bangladesh Government after their unilateral ceasefire offer has sent alarm bells ringing. Highly placed sources told this newspaper that a senior leader of NDFB lieutenant Sushil Bodo a key member of the core group of the NDFB and close aide of chairman of the outfit Ranjan Daimari was mysteriously detained by authorities in Bangladesh reportedly at the behest of the DGFI.

India?s plea to Bangladesh authorities to take action on the militant leaders operating out of the country has so far been met with stout denial. But...

IMPHAL, Nov 2 ? Thousands of people mostly ethnic tribes of the north-east India and Myanmar exchanged vows for peace and prosperity in a one-day post-harvest festival of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo groups held at different places under the sun on Monday. Kut, the post harvest festival of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo (CHIKIM) ethnic tribes of the north-east India and western Myanmar was celebrated with all gaiety and fervour.

The main function was held at Kangpokpi Thomas ground in Senapati district of Manipur bordering Nagaland with Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh as chief guest. Apart from cultural...

GUWAHATI, Nov 2 ? Ancient manuscripts and documents that are a virtual treasure trove of the State?s rich heritage and could throw much light on the State?s past, are fast decaying and vanishing for want of care and attention.

Majority of the manuscripts, mostly scripts written on sanchi leaves, are traditionally owned and kept in private households, and the owners are generally disinclined to part with their precious possessions because of superstitious reasons.

These are invariably regarded as symbols of good luck that keep the evil at bay. But when these start to get disintegrated for...

NEW DELHI, Nov 2 ? An Advance Centre for bamboos and rattans (cane) would be set up at Aizawl, Minister of Environment and Forests A Raja has announced today.

Addressing the 13th annual general meeting of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) Society here today, Raja ? who also its president ? said that the Government has already approved the establishment of the Centre under the administrative control of Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat.

The Minister said the Centre was a long-standing demand of the people of Mizoram, as nearly 49 per cent of the State?s area...

GUWAHATI, Nov 2 ? The Assam Government has drawn up an agenda for privatisation of state public sector undertakings (PSUs) and closure of non-viable PSUs. This was disclosed by the Minister of Industries and Commerce Anjan Dutta while addressing a meeting of the general managers of the district industries and commerce centres here today.

The Minister, in his address, said that the Industries and Commerce Department should lay stress on development of indigenous technologies for utilisation of the natural resources available in the State. He said that the development of small-scale sector...