Economy / Northeast

DHAKA, July 31: India today said allowing its goods to pass through Bangladesh would benefit both countries and dispelled apprehension that it would jeopardise that country's national security. The proposal of allowing transhipment facilities to Indian goods approved by the Bangladesh Cabinet on July 28 does not mean a "corridor" to India or even "transit rights", the Indian deputy high commissioner to Bangladesh, Pinak R Chakravarty, told newspersons. "It is just transhipment of Indian goods to northeastern states of India by Bangladeshi companies," he said, responding to strong opposition...

UNDATED, July 28: Home ministry officials from India and Burma began their three-day talks on issues of concern to both countries in New Delhi on Wednesday. The Indian side is led by home secretary Kamal Pandey while the Burmese delegation is led by deputy home minister Brig. General Thura Myint Maung. The two sides will discuss various issues ranging from insurgency problems in the Northeast, drug trafficking and border trade. According to Indian home ministry sources, the two governments will work on ways to cooperate with each other in tackling insurgency along the international border...

DHAKA, July 28: In a major policy decision, the Sheikh Hasina government on Wednesday approved in principle to examine the issue of transportation of Indian goods through Bangladesh. A brief official announcement said the Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, granted the approval. India has long been pressing for a transit route to transport its goods to the seven north-eastern states through Bangladesh. The Indian proposal had sparked off widespread controversy and protests in political circles. Opposition parties said that providing transit facilities to India would...

AIZAWL, July 28: The Mizoram government is making concerted efforts to make the sub-treasury at the India-Bangladesh border town of Tlabung functional so that border trade between the two countries can be started at the earliest. Stating this in the Assembly on Tuesday, chief minister Zoramthanga said a conducive atmosphere has prevailed in the border areas after an accord was signed between the Bangladesh government and the Chakma rebel outfit, Shanti Bahini. Zoramthanga said more treasuries and sub-treasuries will be constructed in different districts, subdivisional headquarters and big...

AIZAWL, July 22: The Union ministry of commerce has sanctioned Rs 2 cr towards constructing a complete building on the Mizoram-Myanmar border to help encourage future trans-border trade, the state minister for trade and commerce Aichhinga told the House on July 21. He said the state government was also making arrangements to develop a township near the Indo-Myanmar border to encourage trade. He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was also developing infrastructural facilities to help the traders. Regarding border trade with Bangladesh, Aichhinga said a trade delegation from Dhaka would...

Itanagar, July 17: Infrastructure for promotion of tourism in the Northeast is being geared up to make the region more vibrant to attract tourists, the Union minister of state for tourism Omak Apang has said. Talking to hoteliers, restaurant owners and tour operators here on Friday, Apang said with the upgradation of the tourism directorate at Guwahati to a regional directorate, tourism would achieve a new high. The Save Eastern Himalayas, a project initiated by the external affairs ministry, he said would help cultural integration between Bhutan, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Guwahati, July 15: Erosion of the banks of the river Brahmaputra all over the state has created havoc and according to the Flood Control Department officials, massive deforestation, particularly in the neighbouring country Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh is one of the main reasons for the problem. Though two waves of moderate floods hit Assam so far this year, fortunately the floods did not cause much damage till now and erosion of the banks of the river Brahmaputra has turned out to be the main problem. Sources said that different parts of the State have been affected by the problem of erosion...

Guwahati, July 13: The dismally low rate of funding by the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) and other major financing institutions (FIs) in the backward NE region is showing no sign of improvement despite the repeated policy announcements made by successive Central Governments to develop the region's economy with an impressive thrust at the macro level. For, said knowledgeable circles here, the funding rate of the IDBI in the region stood at 0.012 per ecnt against the all India rate in 1996-97, while it stood at 0.024 per cent in 1997-98 and 0.008 per cent in 1998-99 against the all...

Guwahati, July 11: The Centre will soon take special measures to market tourism potentiality of the northeastern region abroad to attract foreign tourists, the Union minister of state for tourism Omak Apang said on Sunday. "The initiative will be taken very soon as there is tremendous potentiality in the tourism sector which is yet to be explored," he told reporters here. Efforts are already on to involve SAARC countries in the tourism promotional efforts and stress is being put on improving the communication infrastructure in the area, he said. Apang said he had visited Bhutan and discussed...