Development

KOHIMA, Dec 11 ? Although the ruling NPF has won maximum seats in the Kohima and Dimapur municipal and almost all the town council elections in the state, BJP surprised the people as it not only captured two-third seats in Wokha Town Council but also could wrest many seats in Kiphire, Naganimora, Longlen, Kohima and Dimapur, reports NEPS.

For the first time in Nagaland, the BJP is going to form the Town Committee in Wokha town as the party has won two-third seats in the just concluded town council elections in the district. Out of 15 wards, BJP won 10 seats, leaving 2 seats to NPF and 3 to...

KOLKATA, Dec 11 ? The Army today said it had documents to prove that Manorama Devi had ?links? with a terrorist outfit in Manipur but termed the incidents leading to her death as ?unfortunate?. ?We have a number of documents to prove that Manorama Devi had links with the terrorists. But at the same time, what happened with her was unfortunate,? Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Santonu Chaudhury said here.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launching of a fast attack craft for the Navy, Chaudhury said the incident had been blown out of proportion by the media. ?Manipur is not such a...

NEW DELHI, Dec 11 ? Eminent author Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami today handed over a second letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh urging him to clarify the confusion over terms for dialogue with ULFA. The Jnanpith awardee said that she met the Prime Minister briefly and handed over the letter requesting him to carefully review Government of India?s stand.

In her letter, she has requested the PM to directly communicate with ULFA C-in-C Paresh Baruah and urged the government to clarify the confusion created over insistence on abjuring violence by ULFA before coming for talks. She also asked that...

GUWAHATI, Dec 11 ? Encouraged by growing volume of trade and the ongoing ?Look East Policy? with ASEAN , Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) is likely to export diesel to Myanmar soon.

NRL is now in talks with the Myanmar Petroleum Product Enterprise (MPPE) to finalise the deal. ?We have given an attractive package and we are now waiting for their reply?, BK Das, managing director of NRL told this correspondent today. Das further said that Myanmar is keen to buy product from NRL in order to reduce the transportation cost.

A delegation of NRL led by Das held a meeting with the MPPE, a leading...

SHILLONG, Dec 10 ? Lafarge, the international cement giant has invested $ 25 million for mining limestone at Shella, East Khasi Hills district of Meghlaya for export to Bangladesh.

The French company would set up a $ 247 million cement plant in Bangladesh?s Chatak area after extracting limestone from the Shella-Nongtrai area, director of the Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt. Ltd (LUMPL) Yong Ngai Chan said at function to inaugurate a community health-care centre set up by the company at Shella on Saturday.

The project, initiated by the Governments of India and Bangladesh in 1993, would be implemented...

IMPHAL, Dec 10?Central and state forces have been sounded a red alert along Manipur, Assam and Nagaland borders following renewed clashes between rival underground groups at Azuram and Chramram villages in Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong district of Manipur bordering these states.

Manipur police chief AK Parashar said army, paramilitary forces and state police have been kept on alert to avert any eventuality though over 300 ethnic tribals are taking shelters at Tamenglong district headquarters after hearing fled from their homesteads. Three columns of 35 Assam Rifles have been rushed to the...

SHILLONG, Dec 10 ? The Meghalaya Government has called upon the Khasi Students? Union (KSU) to settle its grievances through negotiation rather than take to the path of agitation, a day after the Union called for a bandh on December 14 next.

The KSU has called a 24-hour bandh in three districts of Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya from 6 p.m. on December 14 to protest the government?s alleged failure to fulfill its long-pending demands on reservation policy and influx issues besides the move to mine uranium in the West Khasi Hills.

Reacting to the bandh call, the state home minister HDR...

NEW DELHI, Dec 10 ? In a major development, the Supreme Court today gave an ultimatum to the three feuding States of Assam, Nagaland and Arunchal Pradesh to amicably resolve their boundary dispute failing of which a boundary commission would be appointed to settle the dispute.

The Apex Court?s order came after Assam Government opposed the Central Government?s proposal to constitute a boundary commission, mooted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) arguing that it would rather accept the Supreme Court?s decision on its boundary dispute with Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

Realising that they...

NEW DELHI, Dec 10 ? Taken aback by reports of clashes in Manipur, the NSCN (IM) today talked of confidence-building measures with other communities, revealing that they were in touch with Meitei and Kuki communities. Briefing newsmen, senior NSCN (IM) leader VS Atem said that they were talking to Meiteis and Kukis. ?These communities of neighbouring region are being taken into confidence,? he said.

During their January visit last year, shimmering tension prevailed in Manipur in the wake of apprehension of Government of India agreeing to extend the ceasefire beyond the territory of Nagaland...

NEW DELHI, Dec 10 ? Undeterred by rejection of the peace offer by outlawed ULFA, Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami has again decided to move Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and request him to write to ULFA chief Paresh Baruah directly.

Dr Goswami is planning to hand over the fresh letter personally to the Prime Minister, when she meets him tomorrow at a book release function. The latest letter, a draft of which was forwarded to Paresh Baruah through e-mail for approval, mainly speaks about the need to assure ULFA chief that Government favours unconditional talks.

Dr Goswami said that she was planning...