SHILLONG, February 1: Northeastern Council (NEC) will release Rs 90.08 crore for implementation of various NEC schemes in different states in the region, sources in the Council said. The various NEC schemes which have been accorded approval and sanctions by NEC secretary HWT Syiem include construction of RCC bridges, approach roads, sub-ways and double lane bridges, they said. Besides, NEC has also sanctioned Rs 43,066 for quarterly publication of the news journal, sanctioned payment for the general secretary, composers, accompanist-singers, social and cultural organisation of Norngrim hills...

NAGAON, February 1: President of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who is also the Chief Minister of the State, today made a clarion call to the people to "root out the Congress" for the greater interest of the State. Addressing a large gathering at the Nurul Amin Stadium play ground here this afternoon on the occasion of the conclusion of the fourth four-day State conference of the AGP, Mahanta also held the Congress responsible for the underdevelopment of the State. "It is the Congress, which is now requesting the Central Government to stop the flow of the DRDA fund to the...

GUWAHATI, February 1: The general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Narendra Modi today categorically ruled out any possibility of an electoral alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). Addressing a press conference here today, Modi asserted that the BJP is confident of facing the polls alone in Assam as "the people of the state want a BJP government." However, he did not rule out the possibility of alliance with smaller parties and said that the BJP was willing to negotiate with smaller parties if they express their desire for electoral understanding with the BJP. The BJP...

DIBRUGARH, February 2: In what can be termed as a setback to the preparations to the biggest ever session of the Asam Sahitya Sabha here, the district AASU unit today dropped a bombshell by announcing that the students' body is opting out from the official reception committee. While this is not a boycott of the session the dissociation means that the students would now have their own independent and parallel set up to cater to reception, hospitality and health care to the lakhs of people who would be thronging the Sahitya Sabha session from February 7 to 11. The students have been demanding of...

IMPHAL, February 1: A combined force of police commandos and Assam Rifles rushed to Sangaithel area and opened several rounds of fire. After the firing, a wild fire mysteriously broke out engulfing a 100 hectare forest located in between Waikhurok and Ningthourok under Saparmeina police station today at about 11 am. According to villagers of Sangaithel and Tairenkok, they saw police commandos head towards the direction of Loktak Catchment Plantation Forest located at Waikhurok in six Gypsys today at about 8 am. Minutes later they heard gunshots, said the villagers. The villagers said they...