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Guwahati, June 23: The state government has agreed to the formation of three new wildlife sanctuaries to bring more forest areas under government protection. The decision has been taken despite the fact that the government is facing funds and manpower shortage. Addressing a press conference today, forest minister Pradyut Bordoloi said the government has issued final notification to three new wildlife sanctuaries — Amsang, Barail and Dihing Patkai. The total area under the three sanctuaries is 516 square km.

“All the demands of NGOs for creating wildlife sanctuaries cannot be met and many...

GUWAHATI, June 23 – In a move widely expected to accelerate the pace of conservation in the State, the State Government has notified three new wildlife sanctuaries (WLSs) – Amchang WLS, Dihing-Patkai WLS and Barail WLS – covering a total area of 516 sq km, and bringing the number of protected areas (including National Parks) in the State to 23. This is in addition to the two proposed sanctuaries, Deepar Beel and Bardoibam Beelmukh.

Of particular significance is the Dihing-Patkai as it has been formed out of the famed rain forests of Upper Dihing, Dirak and Joypur reserve forests (RFs) along...

GUWAHATI, June 23 – The atmosphere in Kamakhya wears a festive look as pilgrims continue to throng the hilly locale anticipating the opening of the temple doors, which closed on June 22. Till today about two lakh, twenty thousand pilgrims have visited the temple town, even though the doors would open for pilgrims only on Friday morning. The nibritti, however will take place some hours before the pilgrims are allowed inside the temple. This year visitors have come in from several foreign countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and USA. A sizeable number of...

GUWAHATI, June 23 – Even as Upper Assam continues to face the brunt of a sudden spurt in militant activity, there are signals that the ULFA might be preparing to step up the level of its activities in the Lower Assam districts as well. Indications are that the militant outfit is keen to make its presence in the western part of the State. Since the Bhutan operations last year, the outfit has been virtually inactive in Lower Assam, especially in districts like Barpeta and Nalbari that were once the hotbed of ULFA activity.

Sources here disclosed that instructions have been passed on by the ULFA...

Shillong, June 23: More than 30 ministers of the Congress led-Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) have resigned to provide chief minister D.D. Lapang room to reconstitute his government. The members of the coalition partners in the cabinet had recently decided to quit en masse so that Lapang would not have to drop his ministers to comply with the downsizing law.

According to the latest law passed by Parliament, the Meghalaya cabinet can have only 12 members, which means that the ruling MDA has to downsize its ministry from the existing 41 in a House of 60. The deadline for finalising the new...