AGARTALA, August 9: The Bill passed by the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council to introduce the Roman script for the "Kokborak" - the state's tribal dialect - has given rise to a political controversy. The Roman script seeks to replace the Bengali script in which the "Kokborak" is taught in primary schools in the hill autonomous areas of the state. The Indigenous Peoples' Front of Tripura, the ruling group in the council, has decided to introduce the Roman script in primary schools in the hill autonomous areas immediately "as the Governor will take a long time to give assent to...

JORHAT, August 9: Development activities along the Assam-Nagaland border within Jorhat district have taken a backseat over the past few months as an amount of Rs 23 lakh sanctioned by the state government for welfare works in the area for the financial year March 2000-2001 is still awaiting release. A bone of contention between the two neighbouring states since the past few decades, frequent skirmisher along the border over allegations of land encroachment have been a constant pain in the neck especially for the Assam Government, which has all along claimed that land-hungry Naga folks have...

NEW DELHI, August 8: In a significant development, the Union Government on Monday set deadlines for Mizoram Government to take back the Reang refugees currently taking shelter in neighbouring Tripura, in a fresh attempt to resolve the Reang refugee problem. Although the settlement, arrived at a tripartite meeting convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs with the state governments of Mizoram and Tripura, here on Monday left the Left Front government all smiles, it had a reverse effect on its Mizoram counterpart. The meeting, chaired by the Union Home Minister, LK Advani was attended by Tripura...

SHILLONG, August 7: After remaining in cold-storage for the last 14 years, the Northeastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) is back on the rails. The long delayed autonomous institute, the foundation of which was laid by late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 and which was on the verge of being scuttled, is now likely to see the light of day. The Union Health Minister, CP Thakur is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the constructions of the institute at its permanent site at Mawdiang-diang, about six kilometres from here, at 11.45 am tomorrow...

GUWAHATI, August 7: The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), in a bid to encourage export of pineapples from the Northeast is experimenting with the cultivation of organic pineapple in the region for which there is a good market, especially in Europe. Almost 19 per cent of the total land under horticultural crops in the region is devoted to pineapple cultivation and Assam, along with Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur, are among the major pineapple producing states in the country. However, it is only now that an attempt is being made to grow the fruit...