KOHIMA, February 2: Nagaland Cabinet reviewed the financial situation in the State and decided to take immediate drastic steps to cut down the expenditure in the face of mounting fiscal deficit, reports PTI. Finance Commissioner Lalthara said here yesterday that the state Cabinet in a meeting recently reviewed the fiscal position and expressed serious concern over the mounting fiscal deficit in the State. The Government decided to effect 50 per cent cut on all non-priority state plan expenditure excluding earmarked programmes and loan components, salaries and grants to public undertakings. As...

AGARTALA, February 2: A new private airline Bengal Air Service Limited expressed its willingness to fly aircraft on Agartala-Kolkata and inter-district routes in Tripura, managing director of the airline Swapan Sen said here Friday, reports PTI. The airline had submitted a project report to the State Government and the Transport Department is reviewing the project, Sen said. Bengal Airways proposes to fly 44-seater Avro aircraft on the Agartala-Kolkata route and 19-seater Dornier 228 aircraft for inter-district routes, the managing director added. He said the airline wants to connect three sub...

GUWAHATI, February 2: The political convention on various Tribal communities' demand for autonomy organised by the CPI-ML here today observed that the Indian State machinery was involved in inciting terrorism to derail democratic movements of tribals demanding autonomy. Addressing the convention, the CPI-ML politburo member Swadesh Bhattacharjee alleged that the Indian State machinery had been constantly working for converting those areas where tribals are demanding autonomy, into disturbed areas by encouraging militancy so that it got a handle neutralise these movements. He further alleged...

ITANAGAR, February 1: Lalit Sharma, a 1971 batch IAS officer of Arunachal-Goa-Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, has joined here on Monday last as the Chief Secretary of the State. Sharma succeeded PM Nayar, who had gone to Delhi on promotion as the Central Government secretary for science and technology. Sharma's last posting was at Andaman and Nicobar Island.

SHILLONG, February 2: Talks between the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) and the Meghalaya Government appears imminent with the Church leaders here taking the initiative to establish links with the militant outfit. Highly placed official sources today said that the Khasi Jaintia Church Leaders' Forum (KJCLF) has sent invitation letters to the key leaders of the HNLC asking then to come for talks on their demands. "Though the Church leaders have not been officially appointed as mediators, they have the blessings of the State Government to initiate a dialogue with the...