Development

NEW DELHI, Dec 20 ? The Ministry of Environment and Forest has confirmed that at least nine leopards have died during the last three years in Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam. Though Minister of State for Environment and Forest, Namo Narain Mena, denied that leopards were facing extinction in Assam, the most interesting aspect was the manner of deaths of the leopards.

While four of them died of old age, three others died of poisoning. One fell victim to tea garden labourers, yet another was killed in accident in Chenijan Tea Estate. Only one was killed in fighting.

In reply to a question...

NEW DELHI, Dec 20 ? Jnanpith laureate Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami has decided to write to ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa expressing her desire to speak to Paresh Baruah. Arriving from her four-day tour of Varanasi, here this afternoon, Dr Goswami was flooded with telephone calls mostly from the media, but not one from ULFA. The author said she was at sea, as anyone else, trying to fathom what may have befallen on Baruah. After waiting till evening, she decided to communicate with the chairman through e-mail.

?Since Rajkhowa has mentioned about me in his communication, I wish to get in touch with...

AGARTALA, Dec 19 ? The banned National Liberation Front of Tripura(NLFT) appears to have been divided into two camps over the question of peace talks with the Tripura government sticking to its view that political demands would not be conceded, reports PTI.

Official sources said here on Saturday that Nayanbasi Jamatiya, the self-styled supremo of the outfit, did not participate in the fourth round of peace talks with the Centre and the State in New Delhi on Friday and has gone back to Bangladesh for relaunching insurgency activities.

Jamatiya has been demanding that he be made the Chief...

NEW DELHI, Dec 19 ? As part of a tripartite settlement with the Centre and the Tripura government, the Nayanbasi faction of the National Liberation Front of Tripura has softened on its political demands and agreed to ask its cadre to come overground, reports PTI.

NLFT cadre - put at around 150 - would be surrendering before December 31 after a tripartite seven-point agreement was signed by the outfit, the State and the Central governments. The State Government has promised to withdraw all cases against them except those relating to crime against women, official sources said at the end of the...

GUWAHATI, Dec 19 ? Reports of growing links between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Maoist militants of Nepal are causing concern among the security agencies involved in counter-insurgency operations. Highly-placed security sources revealed that links between the ULFA and the Maoists are established facts and though there are reports of the ULFA setting up camps in Nepal, the security forces are yet to get any conclusive evidence in this regard.

Sources said that according to reports available, several top leaders of the ULFA had meetings with the Maoist leaders and it is...

SHILLONG, Dec 18 ? Many cadres of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) of Meghalaya have been ?forced? to work in farms in Bangladesh to eke out a living, a surrendered militant of the outfit has said, reports PTI. Deningstar Rapsang, who was produced before journalists by the East Khasi Hills police on Friday after he laid down arms, said the militant outfit was undergoing a severe funds crunch.

?Most of the cadres are now being forced to work in betel leaf and areca nut farms in many Khasi villages located across the border in Bangladesh,? Rapsang, who surrendered...

AGARTALA, Dec18 ? With ADC polls around the corner, the All Tripura Tigers? Force is gearing up to outdo the rival faction. Preparations have begun in the militant camps located in Bangladesh, a source reported. The ATTF outfit is determined to repeat what their rival Bishwamohan faction had done in the previous polls.

Reports said a fresh group of newly recruited members who had gone to Bangladesh have completed their training and are ready for the operation. These group members are expected to make entry after the Christmas. Alongwith the members of some other outfits of North East, some...

GUWAHATI, Dec 18 ? Despite the recent string of bomb blasts, the number of tourists visiting the State could witness a gradual rise this winter. According to sources in several tour and travel agencies, both enquiries and bookings are on an upward curve.

The Managing Director of Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), Kamal Lochan Goswami, speaking to this reporter, acknowledged that tourists are increasingly choosing Assam as their destination. ?Its very encouraging, that we are getting queries from so many prospective tourists this season.?

According to Goswami, one reason for the...

IMPHAL, Dec 18 ? The abducted Manipur University Vice Chancellor and Registrar who were held captives since December 13 by the banned underground Kanglei Yaol Kanna Lup, (KYKL) under its ?Operation New Kangleipak?, for ?cleansing? education system were released early on Saturday morning with bullet injuries on their left legs.

They have been admitted to Regional Institute of Medical Science Hospital, Imphal with bullet wounds on the left legs but are out of danger after being successfully operated, hospital sources said.

University Vice Chancellor Dr Ng Bijoy Singh and Registrar Dr R K Ranjan...

AGARTALA, December 17? In yet another setback for the NSPT, the Sub Divisional Magistrate on Tuesday issued arrest warrant against former Chief Executive Member (CEM) of ADC Hirendra Kumar Tripura in a cheating case.

One Pradip Debbarama of Bachaibari filed an FIR in the SDM court (Khowai) complaining that Sri Tripura issued one cheque of Rs 7 lakh as payment of supplying materials to the ADC on December 2003. The cheque was bounced when he deposited it in a local bank. Sri Debbarma failed to receive money from the former CEM even after he was given 15 days time to pay by a local court in...