Development

GUWAHATI, Oct 31 ? About three decades ago, the north-eastern region lacked NGOs and voluntary agencies having experts in the field of overall exhaustive development of women and children. This attracted the attention of the higher authorities culminating in the setting up of the Guwahati Regional Centre (GRC) of the National Institute of Public Cooperation & Child Development (NIPCCD) on the Children?s Day, 1978.

Since then this centre has been rendering yeoman?s service to the cause of overall all-round development of women and children over an extensively wide area covering the entire...

GUWAHATI, Oct 31 ? On the last day of submitting feedback on the draft National Environment Policy (NEP) 2004 to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), some NGOs of the North East were able to formulate a response and dispatch it to the authorities concerned.

In what could be described as a belated, yet necessary step to express their doubts and discontent over the draft NEP, the NGOs are hoping that the MoEF give serious thought to their feedback. ?It is a document that is far from perfect, so it is expected that our queries would be given due importance,? said Soumen Dey of...

GUWAHATI, Oct 31 ? S Kabilan today became the 40th Chief Secretary of Assam after taking over from JP Rajkhowa who retired today on attaining superannuation. Kabilan took charge from Rajkhowa in a brief ceremony at the Janata Bhawan here that was attended by senior officials of the state including the state DGP.

An officer of the 1972 batch of the IAS, and belonging to the Assam-Meghalaya joint cadre, Kabilan brings with him vast experience in various fields. He was the Additional Chief Secretary in the state before taking up his latest assignment.

A graduate in mechanical engineering from...

GUWAHATI, Oct 31 ? In the backdrop of the Union Government earmarking ten per cent of funds of various ministries for utilisation in the North East, a new initiative of the Union Ministry of Urban Development (UD) has raised serious concerns. If implemented it would only siphon off funds meant for development of the region.

The UD Ministry has recently asked some state governments in the North East that funds sanctioned by it should be executed by the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC). This is a notable departure from the earlier practice when funds released by the UD Ministry...

NEW DELHI, Oct 31 ? After Bhutan, North East insurgents hiding in Myanmar could face the heat as the military regime there is not averse to carry out an Army operation against them. The issue was discussed during the just-concluded visit here by Myanmar?s top military leader Than Shwe.

He is believed to have assured the Indian leadership that Yangon was for a Bhutan-type operation against the Indian insurgents hiding there, government sources told PTI here today. The two countries have agreed to discuss modalities for carrying out such an operation, the sources said, adding, the process could...

NEW DELHI, Oct 31 ? Eminent litterateur and Jnanpith Award winner, Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami has taken umbrage to Assam Governor, Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh?s language describing his utterances as unbecoming of a Governor. The author?s reaction came after Governor Singh yesterday described her as ?a writer? whom the ULFA has contacted in Guwahati.

?No ULFA cadre contacted me. I came to know through the media that they have contacted a writer in Guwahati ... But ULFA should take initiative to approach the authorities which is the Assam Government,? he told reporters at Shillong on the sidelines...

IMPHAL, Oct 30 ? Under the directive of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the Manipur government is to submit a proposal to the Centre for a special financial package for strengthening the state police commando force now engaged mainly in counter-insurgency operations in the valley districts.

Under the new proposal the existing commando force of Manipur Police would be increased from the present 800 to 1800 and they would be deployed in all district headquarters. There are nine districts in the state ? four in the valley and the remaining five in the hills. Commandos are not being deployed in...

IMPHAL, Oct 30 ? In the backdrop of the deteriorating law-and-order situation, particularly excesses by the protectors of law in dealing with the civilians and militant outfits, the Manipur Human Rights Commission has called for complete lifting of the black laws from the state at the earliest.

Justice Wungazan Awungshi Shishak, retired Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and Chairman of the Manipur Human Rights Commission said that complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 from the state will stand a good stead at this crucial junction.

He was speaking...

NEW DELHI, Oct 30 ? In a significant move ahead of next week?s talks, the Centre has expressed its willingness to accept the demand of a major agitating group in Manipur to lift the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act if the same was ?agreeable? to all sections of the society, reports PTI.

A high-level delegation of Apunba Lup, an amalgam of 32 social organisations and groups in the state, is reaching here on Monday to hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil, highly placed sources told PTI here today.

?The government will convey to them that...

GUWAHATI, Oct 30 ? The once flourishing Assam State Cooperative Marketing and Consumers? Federation Ltd (STATFED) is now panting allegedly due to the lack of dedication of its captains to the organisation. Barring a few hundreds in its headquarters, about 1,400 employees in 26 branches of the Federation are not paid their salaries for the past about 53 months. Even, the headquarters-based employees are paid their basic pay only for the past about one year.

It is feared that without a serious intervention from the political top brass of the State administration, the Federation will die an...