Development

NEW DELHI, Dec 15 ? Renewed violence by outlawed ULFA notwithstanding, the Prime Minister is unlikely to send a signed letter inviting the outfit for talks, as suggested by Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami, highly placed sources said. Though the Prime Minister?s Office is yet to reply to the Jnanpith Awardee?s second letter, the Centre has made up its mind not to despatch any letter signed by the Prime Minister to ULFA.

At least two senior Ministers in the UPA Government have ruled out the possibility of Dr Manmohan Singh writing directly to ULFA chief. Dr Goswami in her second letter to the Prime...

NEW DELHI, Dec 15 ? Months after the goof-up on figures of the illegal migrants in the State, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has claimed that 26,669 foreigners are staying illegally in Assam. In a Rajya Sabha reply, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sriprakash Jaiswal said that according to available information 46,587 foreigners were staying illegally in India as on December 31,last year.

According to the figures submitted by the Minister, Assam is home to highest number of foreigners staying illegally in the country and even more than that of West Bengal where 14,131 such...

WASHINGTON, Dec 15 ? The World Bank has approved a USD 154 million International Development Association credit to assist the Assam Government in improving productivity of its agricultural sector, reports PTI. The credit is designed to stimulate the growth of Assam's agricultural economy, through predominantly pro-poor activities, directed primarily at small and marginal landholders, poor fishing communities, and the landless. Rural communities in all districts of the state will be impacted directly by various aspects of this project.

In Assam, the Bank notes, more than 85 per cent of the poor...

GUWAHATI, Dec 15 ? The proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has denied the involvement of its cadres in yesterday?s Nagaon and Morigaon blasts and termed those as the handiwork of ?secret killers? working at the behest of the state intelligence.

In an e-mailed statement today, ULFA commander-in-chief, ?colonel? Paresh Barua said that the blasts were carried out by the state intelligence to give credence to their publicity blitzkrieg since the last few days that the ULFA would be triggering blasts at public places between December 13 and 15. The outfit has also extended its...

NEW DELHI, Dec 15 ? Alarmed by the sudden spurt in violence, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked security forces in Assam to step up operations against ULFA in the State, sources said. The renewed violence in Assam has not perturbed the Centre, as officials here feel that it is part of ULFA?s psychological operation. ULFA is trying to convey to the Assamese people they are very sincere about talking to the Government of India. But it does not want to talk, probably under pressure of some agency, sources said.

ULFA does not appear to be sincere to the peace process, is the conclusion drawn...

GUWAHATI, Dec 15 ? The Assam Legislative Assembly today adopted a resolution condemning the recent blasts in different parts of the State and killing of innocent persons and called upon all the militant outfits to come forward for talks for restoration peace in Assam. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and was passed unanimously by the House.

Earlier, replying to a discussion on the law and order situation in the State in the wake of a series of blasts, the Chief Minister expressed doubts on the sincerity of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to come for talks. He...

IMPHAL, Dec 14 ? The Muslim underground outfit, People?s United Liberation Front (PULF) has claimed responsibility for killing of an auditor of the Auditor General office, Imphal branch for his refusal to fulfil the demand of paying up Rs 5 lakh.

A spokesman of the outfit Bashir Lasker told the local media that Md Ningthem was gunned down near his residence at Kyamgei Oinam Loukon on Sunday night. The self-styled commander of the outfit, Bashir Lasker, further said that despite demand letters and attacks on his residence on two occasions a month back, the government employee had failed to...

AGARTALA, Dec 14 ? Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has blamed the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT-Biswamohan group) for circulating fake currency in the State which was crippling its economy, reports PTI. Besides indulging in killings, arson and kidnappings, NLFT (Biswamohan group) insurgents were spreading fake currency in Tripura to cripple its economy, Sarkar told the Assembly yesterday in reply to a calling attention notice by Nagendra Jamatiya.

?It is a matter of deep concern that the insurgent outfit is now manufacturing fake Indian currency in sophisticated...

IMPHAL, Dec 14 ? Myanmar military junta are yet to hand over over 200 ethnic tribals from Manipur who are taking shelter at different makeshift camps in Myanmar after fleeing their homes because of sporadic gunfights between the Indian troops and activists of the frontline outfit of United National Liberation Front (UNLF) at different locations in Chandel district of Manipur.

Talking to this correspondent, Manipur police chief in-charge Y Joykumar said that about 200 villagers from Manipur on Sunday fled to neighbouring Myanmar following heavy exchange of fire between the Army and separatist...

DIMAPUR, Dec 14 ? At a time when the top leadership of the NSCN-IM is visiting the State, the ruling DAN government?s Peace Committee has initiated peace talks with the ?Federal Government of Nagaland?.

The timing of the peace talks with the FGN has drawn mixed reactions in the State because the NSCN-IM had made it clear to New Delhi that it does not want any parallel talks with any armed group in Nagaland. It is learnt that the DAN Peace Committee led by its co-convener IK Sema met an 11-member team of the FGN spearheaded by its deputy kilonser B Mulio at Nok Yan near Noklak town on December...