GUWAHATI, July 20 - The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) and the Bodo People's Action Committee (BPAC)-sponsored 12-hour Assam bandh on Tuesday failed to evoke any response except in the Bodo-dominated pockets of the northern bank of river Brahmaputra. According to police, there was no report of any untoward incident. Railway services were normal and all long-distance trains left Guwahati. The bandh was jointly called by ABSU and BPAC to protest the alleged human right violations against the Bodo people. (UNI ; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 21, 1999)

DIBRUGARH, July 18 - Confident of walking away with seven Parliamentary constituencies in the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys of the state, the Assam unit of the BJP has informed the party's central leadership that it would rather go it alone, or at best, make strategic electoral alliances with regional parties other than the AGP'. Disclosing this to this correspondent, the state's senior BJP leader, Nakul Baruah said he expects his party to field winning candidates in Nagaon, Kaliabor, Tezpur, Jorhat and Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituencies. He said the BJP would wrest both the Barak valley seats...

IMPHAL, July 18 - In protest against the killing of excise superintendent T Babumacha by the proscribed People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) members, hundreds of protesters on Saturday last staged a mass rally here. The rally was, however, stopped by the police at Khwai Nagamapal. Later, the rallyists organised a meeting at Khurai Lamlong Bazar. Babumacha was kidnapped and killed by PREPAK activists on July 8 at Takyelpat about three km west of Imphal town.

AIZAWL, July 18: The Mizoram Government has submitted 15 projects under the non-lapsable pool fund (NPF) to the Planning Commission for accelerating the development process in the State, official sources said. The projects submitted under the NPF, commonly called 'Peace Bonus,' would receive on approval additional funds which would supplement the draft sectorial allocation of Rs 360 crore State Annual Plan outlay, the chief secretary HV Lalringa said. 'The proposed projects, submitted to the visiting Commission members here, are aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in food production and income...

KOHIMA, July 18 - Over 37 per cent of the total population of Nagaland live below the poverty line (BPL), according to official reports. The reports, quoting an assessment by an expert group constituted to implement the Centre's targeted public distribution system, said about 96,000 people of the state were living below poverty line (BPL). Under the BPL scheme, introduced by the Centre in 1997, each identified family was being provided with special cards to collect ten kg of grains per month at a specially subsidised rate. It provided district-wise break-up of the 37 per cent of the BPL...