Economy / Northeast

TURA, Dec 26 — Coal export from Garo Hills to Bangladesh which was supposed to take off from early October is likely to begin any day now. The export of coal from Gasuapara coal export point in South Garo Hills was hampered due to threats by militants of the banned ANVC who wanted a cut. The militants are believed to have demanded 25 lakh rupees as ‘tax’ for the export which is alleged to have been paid by the coal dealers’ association of Gasuapara. Peoples Liberation Front (PLF), another militant group, has also demanded over one crore from the exporters as ‘tax’ Coal from Nangalbibra is...

AGARTALA, Dec 26 – The Union minister for the department of North-East Arun Shourie today said that border trade between India and Myanmar would take off soon, reports PTI. “We have initiated a process of border trade with Myanmar and the government of that country is very responsive, so we can expect something positive soon,” Shourie said. The minister flew in to Agartala Wednesday to inaugurate a new terminal building complex along with the Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain. Shourie said that a proposal had been given to Bangladesh for transhipment of goods from Kolkata to...

GUWAHATI, Dec 25 – Union Minister for Department of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) Arun Shourie today stated that the Central government was not averse to provide a ‘special package’ to the region in case the NE states show capability for prompt and honest execution of the projects. He also put restoration of peace and end to all sorts of extortion in the region as another precondition for the Centre to grant a ‘special package’ to the region.

Addressing a function held on the occasion of launching of the first 50-seater aircrafts by Alliance Air for the region, Shourie said the...

GUWAHATI, Dec 25 — Arvind Dave, the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, at a simple function recently in the Raj Bhawan in Itanagar released a book edited by Dr S Dutta, professor and head, Department of History of Arunachal University on ‘Cross-Border Trade of the North East: The Arunachal Perspective’. The function was attended among others by Suresh Roy, Director General of Police, secretary to the Governor, Jitendra Narain, Dr Tai Nyri, registrar, Arunachal University and a number of faculty members from Arunachal University stated a release. Releasing the book, the Governor said that the book...

NEW DELHI, Dec 23 – The Prime Minister’s package for the socio-economic development of the North Eastern region has almost doubled to Rs 13,388.90 crore, even as the strategy of the North Eastern Council (NEC) has been redrafted for the 10th Five Year Plan period (2002-2007) with thrust on completion of ongoing priority works. The 10th Five Year Plan cleared by the National Development Council (NDC) here on Saturday, would see the Planning Commission continue to advocate the area approach and aim to strengthen decentralisation of planning. Focused developmental programmes for backward areas...

GUWAHATI, Dec 20— The Union Commerce Ministry has decided to conduct a detailed survey on the border trade points in the North East. Highly-placed official sources today informed that the decision was taken in order to improve the present condition of the trade points. Though there are 32 trade points in north east India, 16 are functioning normally while rest are in bad shape. The commerce ministry has been focussing on the North East to accelerate trade with the neighbouring countries. The sources further revealed that the survey is aimed at harnessing the potential in the region. “We...

NEW DELHI, Dec 17 — The Centre has ruled out the possibility of according ‘tax free’ status to the north-eastern States. Minister in-charge for Department of Development of North-eastern Region (DONER) Arun Shourie, in response to a question is the Lok Sabha, pointed out that already under the new industrial policy of 1998, several tax concessions were provided under direct taxes for the region. The incentives cited included 100 per cent tax holidays for 10 years. In addition a new industrial package was announced is 1999 for the region and one of the components of the package was excise duty...

Guwahati, Dec. 17: Alarmed at the increasing number of non-performing assets, the board of directors of North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi) has decided to take action against defaulters

The board has decided to take recourse to the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002, passed recently. Under the act, a financing institution can take over the assets of defaulting units. Action under this Act has already been initiated against a tea-processing unit and a cold-storage project.

In view of the amendment of the...

DIBRUGARH, Dec 1: Generally ?Vinegar? Joe Stilwell must be grinding his teeth wherever he is. For the urgency with which his forces built the road later named after him is today caught in the quagmire of international politics and policy differences. At the end of the two-day deliberations on the problems and prospects of re-opening the Stilwell Road here on Saturday the matter continues to be as complex as it was two days ago whether to expedite the process of re-opening the road at all and if yes how to go about it. A local tea planter, Manoj Jalan, who is involved in the matter, today said...

Dibrugarh, Nov. 30: Experts have once again mooted the idea of reopening the historic Stillwell Road ? albeit while sounding a note of caution ? during the inaugural session of the two-day national seminar on ?Reopening of the Stilwell Road ? problems and prospects? here today.

?Smuggling of narcotics and illicit arms into the country from Myanmar, irrespective of the country of origin, has been going on regardless of the presence or absence of the road. ... This must be eliminated,? said former diplomat A.K. Ray, delivering the keynote address at the seminar. It was organised by the...