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Shillong, June 8: The Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government will meet on June 12 to discuss the downsizing of the ministry. According to the law enacted by Parliament, Meghalaya must prune its ministry from the existing 41 to 12 ministers. Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang said late last evening that his government, a coalition of five parties, including the Congress, would “sit across the table to openly deliberate on the issue”. Lapang is also the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader.

According to the amended anti-defection bill, which was signed by President A.P...

GUWAHATI, June 8 – Despite Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s tall claims of peace having returned to the State, kidnappings in Assam seem to be witnessing a rising trend since he took over on May 2001. The latest kidnapping of a senior Minister’s son in the State has come as a big blow to the Chief Minister’s claims. There are also indications that extortion by militants is rampant across the State. Security sources revealed here today that since the Congress came to power in 2001, the incidences of kidnappings have increased steadily over the years. Thus, 82 people were abducted in 2001. In 2002...

SHILLONG, June 8 – Among the north-eastern States, Assam is the highest contributor of income-tax. Out of a total of Rs 590 crore revenue collected from income-tax in the entire North East in the 2002-03 financial year, Assam alone accounted for a whopping Rs 509 crore, Commissioner of Income-Tax, Guwahati, TM Das informed. In the current financial year there was a substantial increase in revenue collection which stood at 12,000 crore from the region, in which Assam’s contribution is again expected to be substantial, Das said, addressing a press conference at the Shillong Press Club on Monday...

Shillong, June 8: Meghalaya is trying to promote its tourism sector in a big way and plans are afoot to invite big names in the Indian tourism industry to run some of its major projects. The director of Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), H. Shangpliang, said big names like Oberoi, Welcomgroup, Taj and even Le Meridian could soon be a part of the Crowborough hotel and multiplex project. He said the response from these groups had been “very good” and the state government was keen on privatising some of its key tourism promotion units.

Shangpliang said some other MTDC-run projects...

Chozuba (Phek), June 8: A sub-inspector in the Border Security Force (BSF)’s Nagaland-based 111 Battalion, Ahoto has five years of service left. But he is already 75, which means he will be 80 by the time he calls it a day. Four of his friends, all of them based at the Satakha battalion headquarters in Zunheboto, are in their seventies and will retire around the same time. These men were members of what the BSF describes as the “Naga Revolutionary Army” and were inducted into the paramilitary force in 1973.

Explaining why such elderly people had been retained, BSF commandant Man Singh said:...