KOHIMA, August 5: The Nagaland health and family welfare minister, Neiba Ndang, today said that the government had taken every step to combat and prevent the epidemic outbreak of viral diseases along with malaria, typhoid, hepatitis and gastroenteritis in the state. Ndang told newspersons that in all 650 people died so far. Of them 470 had died in Mon, 120 in Mokokchung, 50 in Kohima and 10 in Tuensang district. Figures from Dimapur and some other affected areas were awaited and the toll might go up, he said. Ndang, who recently toured Mokokchung and Tuensang districts, visited some health...

MORIGAON, August 5: Loy Ram Bora is a schoolteacher by profession. But today he is no less than a flood control expert and an anti-erosion specialist. On the banks of the river Brahmaputra in Morigaon and Nagaon districts, he is the most sought-after person for his innovative method to fight erosion, the biggest problem of the area. In the last two decades, 45 revenue villages of Bhuragaon revenue circle were washed away by the mighty Brahmaputra. The Bhuragaon market was 7 km from the bank of decade ago. Today it is just 100 metres away, counting its days. Loy Ram Bora has seen people losing...

AIZAWL, August 4: The Mizoram law department has referred the Mizoram Salaries and Allowances and Pension of Members of the Legislative Assembly (Amendment) Bill, 1999, to the Chief Election Commissioner as it could violate the moral code of conduct laid down by the Election Commission. The Bill was introduced in the state Assembly on Wednesday. According to state chief electoral officer L Tochawng, Governor A Padmanaban had asked the state election commission to clarify whether the Bill could be introduced and later implemented before the Lok Sabha elections. A senior official of the law...

GUWAHATI, August 5: Lack of adequate knowledge of the security force personnel engaged in the counter-insurgency operations about the Assamese way of life has led to many problems including unnecessary harassment of innocent people. But to do away with the problem, Army authorities here have started a training programme for the security personnel coming from outside. The general officer commanding of the Tezpur-based 4 Corps, Lt Gen DB Shekatkar, told this correspondent that a counter-insurgency training school has been opened in Solmara in Sonitpur district where Armymen and the personnel of...

GUWAHATI, August 4: The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has sanctioned projects amounting to Rs 554 lakh in Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Assam. An official release said the statewise allocation was: Mizoram Rs 156.30 lakh, Manipur Rs 156 lakh; Tripura Rs 105 lakh and Assam Rs 137 lakh. NEDFi has sanctioned Rs 144 lakh as term loan to Greenwood Hospital Pvt Ltd for setting up a 59-bed hospital in Bawngkawn, Aizawl. It is an existing hospital with 30 beds on rented premises and is the only private healthcare unit providing tertiary healthcare facility in Mizoram...