DIBRUGARH, February 10: His shaking hands hold a few copies of a novel as he moves around the Sahityarathi Kshetra, pleading with people to buy a copy. "You will enjoy reading this book, I can assure you that," he tells prospective buyers. Lakhi Mahanta has been visiting the Sahitya Sabha venue these days with copies of Chinaki Ghator Suryauday, a novel authored by him. Mahanta has two novels to his credit, apart from 18 plays and a few radio plays. His radio play, Juge Juge Dodhishi, fetched him the national award in 1987. The 60-year-old writer fell into bad times after retiring as a teacher...

NEW DELHI, February 10: The growing warmth in the ties between India and Myanmar is likely to see opening of the barriers for cross-border movement of people through Northeast to the neighbouring country. When the Foreign Minister of India, Jaswant Singh, will cross the international border at Moreh in Manipur on Tuesday morning he may well mark the beginning of the opening up of the border with Myanmar for movement of people. The External Affairs Minister heading a delegation of Indian Government will be in Myanmar on a three-day official visit to the country, first since late Rajiv Gandhi's...

NEW DELHI, February 8: A special provision has been made under the Deen Dayal Hathkargha Protsahan Yojana (DDPHY) for Northeastern States, Sikkim and Jammu and Kashmir. The project cost under the scheme is normally shared by the Central and State Government in the ratio of 50:50. However, in case of project proposals of these States and covering beneficiaries from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes or minority community, the project cost will be shared between the Central and State Governments in the ratio to 90:10. In order to facilitate movement of finished products from north eastern...

IMPHAL, February 10: Jaswant Singh will inaugurate the Tamu-Kalimyo road, a venture undertaken by the Indian Government with an understanding with the military junta of Myanmar, on February 13 at the Bridge Gate on the Indo-Myanmar border. The construction task of the 108 km-long road was undertaken by the Border Road Task Force (BRTF) since 1997 and is in its final stage. Tight security arrangement has been made in the border town in view of the inauguration function, which will be participated by high-ranking officials of both the countries. There is also an understanding between the...

GUWAHATI, February 10: The State Government is likely to ask the Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), Majari Hanse, to face fresh trial of strength in view of the allegation of malpractice during the motion of confidence on February 6 last levelled by the Opposition group in the House led by former CEM Jotson Bey. The Jotson Bey group still claims to have support of 15 members in the present 29-member KAAC where one seat fell vacant after killing of sitting member JM Basumatary. Even after the defeat in February 6 no-confidence motion, the Jotson Bey group...