Development

Shillong, July 2: After some hiccups, things appear to have fallen in place for the Congress led-Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government with chief minister D.D. Lapang refusing to buckle under pressure while downsizing his ministry. Lapang, who has submitted his list of 12 ministers to AICC president Sonia Gandhi and is awaiting her approval, said after the last cabinet meeting of the 41-member MDA ministry that he would ?justify? his selection when the time came.

The 97th amendment to the Constitution stipulates that Meghalaya has to reduce the size of its ministry from 41 to 12 in...

Shillong, July 2: The banned A?chik National Volunteers? Council (ANVC) has released South Garo Hills divisional forest officer D. Satyan after holding him in captivity for 13 days. Satyan was released late last night. He was abducted by ANVC militants on June 18 from Baghmara, the district headquarters of South Garo Hills. The banned outfit had demanded Rs 15 lakh as ransom.

Meghalaya director-general of police L. Salio told mediapersons that Satyan was released by the outfit near Baghmara late last night.

He was reportedly freed only after some money was paid by Satyan?s family members.

S...

Imphal, July 2: The comptroller and auditor-general (CAG) has pointed a finger at the Manipur government, indicting the home department for misutilising funds provided by Delhi. The money, meant for modernisation of the state police force, was not utilised properly, depriving the state police of additional aid to the tune of Rs 7 crore. This occurred at a time when the state government was reeling under an acute financial crunch.

The CAG, in its latest report, said the home department spent Rs 1.68 crore out of the Rs 2 crore sanctioned by the Union home ministry under the police...

Silchar/Hailakandi, July 2: The diarrhoea outbreak in Hailakandi district claimed two more lives today, taking the toll to 21. Two more persons died at Roopacherra tea garden in the south Assam district. Sources said 33-year-old Raj Kumar Bhar and 40-year-old Gita Roy were the latest victims.

At least 21 labourers have died of diarrhoea and other enteric diseases in Sonacherra, Roopacherra and Serispore gardens in the district over the past four days.

The district?s joint director of health (in-charge), A.K. Bayan, today blamed the Roopacherra tea garden authorities for not doing enough to...

Imphal, July 2: The ministers in the Okram Ibobi Singh cabinet are likely to quit en masse on Sunday to facilitate the chief minister to downsize his ministry. Ibobi Singh, who had been camping in New Delhi for the past week along with some of his senior ministerial colleagues to finalise the list, returned to Imphal this afternoon. The chief minister is said to have made the list final during his meeting with AICC president Sonia Gandhi.

At present, the strength of the Secular Progressive Front (SPF) ministry is 32, excluding the Speaker and the deputy Speaker. The new law requires Ibobi...

New Delhi, July 2: A non-government organisation has sounded a red alert over the spurt in human trafficking from the region. According to Shakti Vahini, the NGO, state governments in the region are yet to grasp the implications of the racket and yet to put the necessary preventive mechanism in place.

Its annual report, Trafficking in India Report 2004, classified all states (barring Arunachal Pradesh) in four categories in terms of the magnitude of trafficking, the existence of the legal and administrative frameworks and their implementation and the concern level for human, woman and child...

Guwahati, July 2: In a development that could change the contours of Assam politics, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and friend-turned-foe Bhrigu Kumar Phukan today buried the hatchet to jointly challenge AGP president Brindaban Goswami?s alleged dictatorial ways.

The two leaders, who led the anti-foreigner movement and formed the first AGP government before parting ways, met at room number 14 of Guwahati Circuit House this morning, ostensibly to discuss the power equation within the party.

Former AGP executive committee member Pranab Goswami, known to be a Mahanta loyalist, had booked the room in his...

AIZAWL, July 2 ? The Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) on Thursday denied any involvement in extortion activities in Mizoram?s Champhai town near Myanmar border and alleged that such crimes were organised by a rival faction. Police arrested eight persons last week on charge of intimidating people and extorting money in the name of the ZRA, a Paite rebel outfit.

The outfit, in its statement alleged that those involved in such extortion belonged to the ?Zothon faction? and called the faction ?a bunch of gangsters having their base in Champhai who have come together without the knowledge of Zomi...

SHILLONG, July 2 ? Countering criticisms that the Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) in Byrnihat near Guwahati has benefitted only the outside entrepreneurs, Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang has asserted that the Park has benefited the State immensely and that more benefits would accrue in the coming years. He said that incentives are being given to the units in EPIP and other declared ?industrial areas? to attract industrial investment proposals so that with the growth of industries in the State, benefits would accrue to Meghalaya which have far reaching social cost benefits.

Replying...

AGARTALA, July 2 ? The ruling Left Front in Tripura has captured 156 village panchayats out of a total of 513 panchayats uncontested, according to official sources. The election is slated for July 18. The sources said that the Front also won five Panchayat Samities out of a total 23 by winning 80 out of a total 299 seats and six seats out of 82 in four Zila Parishads.

This picture emerged yesterday after the last date of withdrawal of candidates.Meanwhile, the president of the Tripura Pradesh Congress, Birajit Sinha, alleged that the ruling front had prevented Opposition candidates from...