Development

NEW DELHI, Oct 17 ? Probe into the rape of Manorama Devi, which sparked off angry protests in Manipur, is believed to have reached a deadlock with State police alleging that Assam Rifles was not co-operating in the investigations and that no DNA sample had been taken by the State authorities, reports PTI. This has been conveyed to senior officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Prime Ministers? Office by the State government following inquiries whether the probe had found that Manorama Devi was not raped.

The State authorities have claimed that the probe in the case had reached a deadlock...

GUWAHATI, Oct 17 ? ?North East India should insist on measures that would expand the green cover over the Himalayan ranges. This is essential because the origin of floods in the region lie in those hills and mountains where forests have dwindled due to human intervention. We can call it a Himalayan Forest Policy,? said Sunderlal Bahuguna while interacting with the media in the city today.

He revealed that he had already talked with the Assam Chief Minister in this regard, and was hopeful that the people of Assam would adopt afforestation in a big way. ?There is no other alternative to...

GUWAHATI, Oct 17 ? The situation in the north eastern region may worsen if the Bangladesh Government cannot be persuaded to take action against the anti-India forces including the militant outfits of the region staying in the neighbouring country, said the Director General of Tripura Police, GM Srivastava.

Talking to The Assam Tribune here today, Srivastava, who was here to attend the conference of the DGs of the north eastern States, expressed the view that the bases of the NE militants in Bangladesh may prove to be more dangerous than the bases which were evicted from Bhutan, because the...

SHILLONG, Oct 16 ? The Meghalaya Government has said it has decided to resume helicopter services, suspended after the September 22 crash which left 10, including a cabinet minister and two MLAs dead, but the date was yet to be fixed. Chief Minister D D Lapang told reporters on Friday after chairing a Cabinet meeting that Pawan Hans Ltd has assured the government to replace the crashed helicopter within 18 months on which understanding, the government has agreed to resume the services.

The Chief Minister said Pawan Hans Ltd would also give a compensation of Rs 7.50 lakh to the next of kin of...

ITANAGAR, Oct 16 ? Charismatic Gegong Apang was back in the saddle in Arunachal Pradesh today heading a Congress government for his 21st year as Chief Minister, a record which is surpassed only by Jyoti Basu in West Bengal. A changed scenario greeted Apang this time with BJP, which he himself helped in the state, making its maiden entry into the Assembly in the polls.

The most popular figure in this north-eastern state, 57-year-old Apang has headed Congress, Arunachal Congress and BJP governments before returning with the Congress this time round. His stint included a 19-year rule since 1980...

IMPHAL, Oct 16 ? Surrendered cadres of various insurgent outfits now languishing in the barracks of the First Manipur Rifles dog squad, here have threatened to launch a fast unto death to protest the state government?s failure to rehabilitate them properly by providing jobs as riflemen and constables in the state forces and to clear their monthly stipends during the past four years.

Talking to newsmen at the dog squad here on Friday, a spokesman of the surrendered insurgent activists said that the state government has so far failed to clear their monthly stipend of Rs 2000 each to 82...

IMPHAL, Oct 16 ? The number of cancer patients has been on the rise in the north eastern region particularly in Manipur over the past few years, according to the latest survey conducted by the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. RIMS, run by the North Eastern Council for the six beneficiary states - Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, has been conducting research works in cancer.

The Radio Therapy Department of RIMS has been treating cancer patients for the last 15 years and the institute is the only one in the entire north eastern region which...

SHILLONG, Oct 16 ? Khasi and Garo, the two major languages in Meghalaya, would soon be recognised as associate official languages in the state. ?The state government has accepted in principle to recognise Khasi and Garo as associate official languages with English remaining the principal official language in the state,? Chief Minister DD Lapang told mediapersons after discussing the issue at a Cabinet meeting here on Friday.

A committee, headed by Chief Secretary PJ Bazeley with Principal Secretary GP Wahlang as convenor has been constituted to examine the matter threadbare, the Chief Minister...

KOHIMA, Oct 16 ? Opposition Congress today retained two Assembly seats and lost one to Nagaland People?s Front (NPF), a major partner of the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN), in the bye-elections to three Assembly segments of the state held on October 13, reports PTI. With this, Congress? tally stands at 17 and NPF 35 in the 60-member Assembly.

Congress candidate and former Rajya Sabha member Apok Jamir defeated Alempokba of NPF by 3,967 votes in a straight contest to retain the prestigious Aonglenden constituency in Mokokchung district. Congress won this seat for the sixth time in...

GUWAHATI, Oct 16 ? Following a directive from the Railway Board, the NF Railway (NFR) is planning to create an archive containing some of its most valuable documents. Tentative steps have already been taken in this regard with an initial survey being carried out of the photographs in possession of the railway authorities.

Speaking to this correspondent, the chief photographer of NFR, Kushal Kumar Rabha, said that his organisation was in possession of quite a few rare photographs, which should be preserved. Among the photographs are those, that document the launch and completion of significant...