AGARTALA, July 23: NLFT militants kidnapped four Garo villagers and beat up several people in remote Khedornal village under Natun Bazar police station in South Tripura last night. The four abducted Garos were CPM activists. Police sources said the militants raided Khedornal at 7 pm, herded the villagers to a nearby field and indiscriminately beat them up. The rebels apparently "punished" the villagers for maintaining ties with non-tribals and going to the Natun Bazar market. The three injured were admitted to the Natun Bazar hospital. The four abducted persons have been identified as Korbuk...

GUWAHATI, July 22: Despite the strict guidelines laid down by the National Human Rights Commission, most of the jails in Assam are in a deplorable condition. The jail inmates are compelled to spend their days in unhygienic condition as most of the district jails neither have proper maintenance nor funds to repair old constructions. One of the oldest jails in the country in Lower Assam's Dhubri district is facing the perennial waterlogging problem. Disclosing this to The Asian Age on Monday, the special representative of the commission in the Northeast, SB Medhi, said that two persons serving...

AGARTALA, July 22: The Northeastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) will sell power to Bangladesh from its proposed 500-MW giant thermal power project, to be set up at Santi Nagar in West Tripura, reports UNI. NEEPCO's technical director Sunil Baran Dey told newsmen here on Saturday that the surplus 300 MW power would be sold to Bangladesh, which had been facing a severe power crisis. Remaining 200 MW would be given to Tripura and National Power Grid, Dey said, adding, the Central Electricity Authority would soon submit its report for this proposed project, to be set up at a cost of Rs...

ITANAGAR, July 22: Arunachal's Industries department, through a pilot project, has produced a record 250 kg of honey alone at Sille village, 25km, away from Pasighat, the district headquarters of West Siang this year, official sources said. "Never before has Arunachal witnessed such a record production of honey, and I am optimistic that the production will go up in the current year," S Tabin deputy director, in-charge of pilot project said in a press note. Stating that the recent produces are placed at government sales emporiums at Itanagar and Pasighat under the brand name of Siang honey'...

DIPHU, July 22: Since the day it was formed on May 17, 1986, Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) probably faced worst ever crisis today as its two powerful leaders Jayanta Rongpi and Holiram Terang are at loggerheads. In fact, the crisis has virtually split the ASDC into two groups sans the formalities. The common Karbi people's dream for a separate autonomous state within the state of Assam lies shattered as the ASDC stalwarts are engaged in a power struggle within the party. It is yet to be answered what actually triggered the bitter conflict between Rongpi and Terang, both of whom are...