News

IMPHAL, June 8 – The proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) claimed the responsibility for the encounter that took place with the combined force of State police and India Reserve Bettalion in the adjoining areas of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts Saturday. During the encounter, six security personnel susustained bullet injuries. The encounter took place at Khoirentak, Harmontang and Moirang Khousabung in and around the adjoining areas of Bishnupur and Churachandpur district. The gunbattle continued for several hours.

Claiming that the underground cadres of UNLF were involved...

Imphal, June 8: The Manipur Opposition’s participation in the forthcoming Assembly budget session remains uncertain with the leaders of the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) refusing to attend the business advisory committee meeting. The Opposition parties also rejected an invitation by the Speaker to discuss the session.

The Opposition DPA, comprising the BJP, Federal Party of Manipur (FPM) and Manipur People’s Party (MPP), had boycotted the last two Assembly sessions, demanding resignation of Speaker T.N. Haokip.

At the business advisory committee meeting held yesterday, the participants...

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: 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...

GERUKAMUKH (Dhemaji), June 7 – For the power-starved Assam, the delay in the projected commissioning date of the Lower Subansiri Hydro Electric Power Project, an undertaking of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), is bad news. Though dams in the seismically active North East are a cause of serious concern among sundry environmental groups, the positive side of the proposed power station is that once completed, it will feed an additional 2000 megawatts of power into the electric grids of the region.

And while the environmental groups are fuming and fretting over their...