Development

New Delhi, July 13: The northeastern states are primed for a whirlwind tour of ?virgin markets? worldwide, from Mongolia to Germany, to promote their unique products. The itinerary of the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) for 2004-2005 includes Northeast trade fairs in as many as five countries of Asia and Europe. The trade caravan?s first stop is Mongolia, where a five-day fair billed as ?A Slice of India in Mongolia? begins on August 30.

Separate pavilions will be allotted to Assam and Tripura. The other states will be represented through sectors that have export potential. For...

New Delhi, July 13: The Manmohan Singh government today told the Supreme Court that it would like to persist with the contentious Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, marking a major policy shift on the subject after the change of guard in Delhi. The erstwhile BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government wanted the legislation to be scrapped, a stand welcomed by the Asom Gana Parishad and the All-Assam Students? Union (AASU), which spearheaded the anti-foreigner agitation in the state.

After the Centre?s submission, the three-judge bench of Chief Justice R.C. Lahoti, Justice...

Silchar, July 13: An army study group that scanned the insurgency scenario has warned of heightened militant activity in the region, particularly Nagaland and Manipur, after the monsoon and immediately after Christmas. The group?s 15-page confidential report, titled ?Insurgency in New India?, states that assorted groups of militants are planning to go into an overdrive during the post-monsoon period.

The accent of the operations will be on augmenting their resources and manpower through extortion and recruitment of school and college dropouts, the report says.

After Christmas, the militant...

NEW DELHI, July 14 ? Moved by the onslaught against him for neglecting the North Eastern Region (NER), Railway Minister, Laloo Prasad today clarified that sanctions worth Rs 350 crore have been proposed for NF Railways towards ongoing projects. Replying to debate on the Railway Budget, Sri Yadav denied that the contention of the Members that the region had been given a raw deal, assuring that he proposed to visit the region to take stock of the problems. ?After the Budget Session I propose to visit the States and hold discussions with the MPs and the State Governments,? he said.

Earlier...

AIZAWL, July 13 ? As a first legislative step to make Mizoram an ?organic state?, the state Assembly on Monday unanimously passed the Mizoram Organic Farming Bill, 2004. The Bill, introduced in the Assembly by Agriculture Minister H Rammawi, was drafted in line with the National Organic Farming Policy and when enforced would make Mizoram the second ?Organic state? in the country next only to Sikkim.

Intervening in the discussion on the Bill, Chief Minister Zoramthanga said that the use of biofertilisers by replacing chemical fertilisers would go a long way in production of ?poison free...

UDALGURI, July 13 ? The Lakhimpur-Alipurduar entire gauge mail and the Rangapara-Rangiya passenger trains on the tracks of Rangapara-Rangiya junctions have been turned into the ?safe carriages? of valuable logs. The carrying of unauthorised valuable logs in the railway compartments is not a new thing now. It is known to the everyday regular passengers of those trains that these mail and passenger trains carry these logs to the desired ?unauthorised stations? elsewhere between Rangapara and Rangiya junctions causing untold inconvenience to the passengers Particularly in the mail train and...

GUWAHATI, July 13 ? The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) for a Rs 2000 crore loan for the execution of the 600 MW Kameng Hydropower project in Arunachal Pradesh and 280 MW gas based power project in Tripura. A NEEPCO release said that the Kameng project would be completed in five years and the gas-based project in Tripura would be completed within the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The completion of these two projects would completely meet the power requirement of the North Eastern region and the...

GUWAHATI, July 13 ? While a major part of the State continues to reel under flood, the Brahmaputra, which has been in spate for the past few days, has posed a serious threat to the city itself. The Brahmaputra was today flowing menacingly at 1.59 metres above the danger level. The trend, however, remained steady throughout the day. Meanwhile, the river was recorded by the Central Water Commission (CWC) as flowing at 51.27 metres at 5 pm today, which is the second highest since 1988 when it had touched 51.37 metres and inundated the Fancy Bazar and Bharalu areas. Yesterday it was recorded at 51...

NEW DELHI, July 13 ? Beleaguered caretaker Chief Minister, Gegong Apang today came to the defence of State Governor VC Pande, pleading that the Centre should allow him to complete his term that expires in four months. His reactions came following reports that the Central Government has made up its mind to remove the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh for his role during the recent political crisis. He sent in three conflicting reports to the President within a span of 24 hours, creating all-round confusion at the Centre. ?I appeal to the Central Government not to disturb him. The Governor has not...

GUWAHATI, July 13 ? At a time when the entire State is reeling under the fury of floods and erosion, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has pointed out a case of wasteful expenditure incurred by the Water Resources Department ?due to an injudicious decision to take up erosion protection work under the ?Flood Damage Repair? (FDR) scheme in an area known to be prone to recurring flood and erosion.? The CAG, in its report presented to the State Assembly yesterday, said that the Department incurred a wasteful expenditure amounting to Rs 63.65 lakh and the work remained incomplete...