News

Guwahati, June 28: The Assam Congress today heaved a sigh of relief when two cabinet ministers — power minister Debananda Konwar and industry minister Bhubaneswar Kalita — put in their papers after initial reservation. Konwar sent his resignation through a personal aide, while Kalita personally handed over his to chief minister Tarun Gogoi. There was a lot of apprehension in the party over the two leaders’ initial indifferent response to the chief minister’s request on relinquishing their posts before he downsized the government.

“Both of them made their reservations known and hence, the...

Agartala, June 28: CPI minister Manindra Reang, who had allegedly been forced to sign his letter of resignation from the cabinet by CPM miscreants, has denied media reports on the issue and the statement made by CPI party secretary Prashanta Kopali yesterday. In statement faxed to CPM office and circulated by CPM workers, Reang said he supported the downsizing of the ministry as required by the 97th Amendment of the Constitution and had voluntarily sent his letter of resignation to chief minister Manik Sarkar. He described the media reports as “totally baseless and malicious”.

Imphal, June 28: Even as the deadline for the Ministry downsizing is nearing, Chief Minister O Ibobi has come increasingly under immense pressure ahead of the impending pruning of his jumbo sized Ministry. According to information received from reliable sources, the earlier model worked out by the SPF for the downsizing may undergo some marked changes and even as these changes are being worked out, immense pressure has been mounted on the Chief Minister. As per the earlier model worked out tentatively, the downsizing was to be effected district wise with nine senior Cabinet Ministers to...

GUWAHATI, June 28 – The Committee on Environmental Implications associated with the BG railway alignment through the Deepar Beel area, recommended that the existing natural passes of wild animals, including the elephants, should be protected. If it is deemed necessary, the recommendations said that additional high passes might be provided for the purpose. The Committee constituted by the State Government to examine the matter had submitted its report in July 1990.

One of the observations of the Committee was that the railway tract would cause some amount of disturbance to the wildlife in the...

NEW DELHI, June 28 – The game of musical chairs among the ministerial aspirants has begun with the AICC constituting a three-member panel to handle downsizing of ministries in consultation with general secretaries-in-charge, chief ministers and PCC chiefs.

Although the three-member committee comprising AICC president’s political secretary, Ahmed Patel, general secretary, Ambika Soni and Treasurer Motilal Vohra is set to formally begin its sittings from tomorrow, preliminary talks with the State leadership have already got under way. Amidst rising tension among the aspirants, chief ministers...