GUWAHATI, February 3: Fishing activities are on their peak in the Deepar beel, the lone Ramsar site, i.e. the internationally recognised wetland, of the State. About 10,000 people of seven villages in the outskirts of this capital city, and about 200 families of Matihari district in Bihar are depending on this beel for their livelihood. For the residents of Keotpara, Natunbasti, Medhipara, Heerapara, Noapara, Hatuapara and Matia near Azara on the western fringe of the city, the beel is their Goddess Lakshmi - the Goddess of wealth. They offer a Ganga Puja to satisfy the beel in the Assamese...

NEW DELHI, February 3: Alarmed at reports of massive irregularities in transport subsidy schemes in the Northeast, the Union Industries Ministry has directed the National Productivity Council (NPC) to probe the allegations and recommend measures to plug the loop holes in the schemes. The joint Secretary in the Ministry of the Industries, S. Jagdessan, who is in-charge for the Northeast, told this newspaper that the NPC has already submitted its draft report to the Ministry recently. " We have received the draft report and are expecting the final report soon after which it would be released,"...

IMPHAL, February 3: An outstanding HUDCO loan of Rs. 30 crore, granted to the Planning and Development Authority (PDA) for smooth conduct of the V National Games, is now untraceable, highly placed sources said today. According to the source, the outstanding amount is neither in the account of the PDA nor in any other department in the state, leading to speculations that the amount has been misappropriated. The Rs. 30 crore HUDCO loan was sanctioned during the 1998-1999 to the PDA for smooth conduct of the V National Games, the source said. The state government is now shouldering an extra...

SHILLONG, February 3: The R.S. Lyngdoh Training Centre has adopted three East Khasi Hills hamlets - Syniasa, Umsning and Tanglei - as project villages for the Integrated Rural Development Programme. The three villages, which make up a cluster, are situated about nearly 45 km from the capital city. At a public meeting held at Umsning yesterday, the sordars of the villages welcomed the training centre's team led by director Banteilang R. Lyngdoh Nongbri. They said the villagers, who were poor and illiterate, were in need of assistance. The area had been long neglected by the government, they...

AGARTALA, February 3: The Tripura tribal areas' autonomous district council witnessed unruly scenes today after ruling party members made an unsuccessful attempt to physically assault the Opposition's leader, Radhacharan Debbarma. The council had today held a day's session at Khumulung near Agartala to pass the Bill for creating the post of a deputy chairman for the council. Trouble began after a section of the ruling Indigenous People's Front of Tripura members suddenly became excited over the Opposition's denial to support the Bill, and rushed towards Debbarma in an apparent move "to teach...