AGARTALA, June 14 – A group of about 30 insurgents of banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (Biswamohan group) kidnapped 37 persons, mostly small traders, from Kampui-Bhandarima road in North Tripura district from two vehicles in the wee hours today, police said, reports PTI. However, later they released 13 persons, mostly tribals, police said. The small traders were going to a market at Kampui, a hill top tribal hamlet bordering Mizoram to sell goods and agricultural and horticultural products. SP (North) Arbinder Singh and District Magistrate Debotosh Dutta rushed to the spot with...

GUWAHATI, June 14 – Though consumption of electricity has increased by as much as 6 percent in Assam over the one year period from 2001-02 to 2002-03, the State’s power generation has continued to decline leaving the people starved for power. The demand-supply shortfall during 2002-03 was 23.78 percent, according to data supplied by the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB).

Assam, despite its tremendous potential to generate power ranging from hydel to natural gas, including oil and coal resources, has not been able to make any progress in this sector. “There exists a big gap between...

NEW DELHI, June 14– ULFA has in the past two months embarked on a massive recruitment drive in Assam, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cautioned the State Government, highly placed sources told this newspaper. ULFA’s growing belligerence in Assam after Bhutan crackdown has not gone unnoticed at the centre and the State Government has been kept posted of the latest developments.

Extortion notices on the tea companies, served recently, is but the latest in a series of the disturbing news that suggests that the ULFA after suffering massive set backs in Bhutan has started regrouping and...

Aizawl, June 13: Mizoram Opposition leader and PCC chief Lalthanhawla has accused chief minister Zoramthanga of being responsible for the presence of Manipur militants in the state. Lalthanhawla, who toured Zoramthanga’s constituency, Champhai, last week, said the Zomi Revolutionary Organisation (ZRO) and members of its armed wing were present in the state, especially in Champhai constituency bordering Manipur, because they enjoyed the support of the chief minister.

During his tour, the Opposition leader alleged that the MNF owed the ZRO money for “services rendered”, which the ZRO was...

New Delhi, June 13: Kaziranga National Park could not have hoped for a better centenary gift. The abode of the one-horned rhino has been chosen, along with Keoladev National Park in Rajasthan, for a $ 5 million Unesco grant. The funds are for a project called the World Heritage Biodiversity Programme for India, to be executed by the Union ministry of environment and forests over four years, beginning next January.

Project co-ordinator V.B. Mathur, who is from the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India, said the two national parks scored over other biodiversity hotspots because both were...