NEW DELHI, August 25: The threat of a massive power crisis looms large over the Northeast with the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) threatening to suspend its operations in the region owing to non-payment of outstanding dues to the tune of Rs 180 crore. The PGCIL, which has set up the North Eastern Regional Transmission System (NERTS) at the request of the Union government, has now approached the Centre to compensate for its losses in the region. Its request for a grant of Rs 800 crore to make good its losses in the Northeast is also pending approval by the government. Painting...

ITANAGAR, August 24: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to contest 42 of the total of 60 Assembly seats, besides both the two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh. Releasing the first list of 11 candidates for the state Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat here, the NCP state president, Talar Doye, said the new national political party was committed to fighting against "corruption and criminalisation of politics" in the state. The new party has also committed to working for the welfare of the people of the country as well as the Northeast, he said. The second list containing the names...

IMPHAL, August 24: The Secular Democratic Front (SDF), comprising four political parties, would put up Manipur People's Party (MPP) leader Khaidem Mani from the prestigious Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency. The former director of state education department, TS Gangte, will be fielded by the four-party front - the Manipur People's Party (MPP), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Janata Dal (United) from the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat, SDF leaders told a press conference here yesterday. Mani and Gangte, who will be contesting on a CPI ticket...

NEW DELHI, August 24: The Centre is despatching a high-level team to be led by the Union home secretary, Kamal Pande, to the Northeast later this month on a stock-taking mission in the wake of sudden jump in terrorist-related violence and unearthing of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) gameplan to destabilise the region. The home secretary accompanied by top officials from the ministry, besides senior intelligence officials, will arrive at Guwahati on August 27 on a two-day visit, official sources confirmed. This will be the home secretary's maiden visit to the region after he took over...

GUWAHATI, August 24: The Harkat-ul-Ansar (HUA), a dreaded militant outfit of Kashmir backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has intensified its activities along the Indo-Nepal border to destabilise the Northeast and the neighbouring states of the region. According to highly-placed official sources, the security forces have unearthed the "nefarious design" of the militant group following recovery of a letter in which the Mohna unit of the organisation urged the members to create unrest in West Bengal and the Northeast. The official sources further said that the letter which was...