News

GUWAHATI, Dec 31 ? Finding women entrepreneurs are more sincere in repaying loans, the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi) has launched a special scheme to promote women enterprises in the New Year. The Chairman cum Managing Director (CMD) of the NEDFi, J P Saikia told this newspaper that soft loans as well as term loans upto maximum amount of Rs 4.25 lakh would be provided to women entrepreneurs under the scheme with repayment period ranging from three years to five years.

?The NEDFi is trying to help sincere women entrepreneurs who have been running from pillar to...

GUWAHATI, Dec 31 ? The Assam Valley Literary Award for the year 2003 will be conferred on noted litterateur Nirupama Bargohain. The award, instituted by the Williamson Magor Education Trust, will be presented to Bargohain in a function to be held in March next year.

The award, instituted in 1990, is given every year to an Assamese author for creative writing and literary contribution to Assamese literature, said a release of the Williamson Magor Education Trust.

Born in Guwahati in 1932, Bargohain obtained her MA degree in Assamese from Gauhati university and in English from Calcutta...

GUWAHATI, Dec 31 ? Though the process of handing over of the militants arrested by the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) to India is still on, security agencies are of the view that several senior militants are still in the captivity of the RBA. Highly placed security sources said that the RBA has informed the Government of India about the arrest of several other top leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) but they are yet to be handed over to India. According to information available with the security agencies, top leaders of the ULFA and...

Imphal, Dec. 30: Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh last night herded key members of the ruling alliance into his official residence here in a bid to shield them from the prying eyes of the BJP-led Democratic People?s Alliance (DPA). A confidant of the chief minister today confirmed the development, indicating that he was feeling the heat of the Opposition campaign.

Two weeks ago, Ibobi Singh shunted 10 ministers perceived to be disloyal to him out of the state. The majority of these leaders are still holed up in a Calcutta hotel, though the chief minister denies having banished any of...

Agartala, Dec. 30: Among the countless victims of insurgency in the interior areas of Tripura are invaluable archaeological treasures and artefacts. The Unokoti hills, an important Saivite site boasting of exquisite sculptures, is next only to Mahabalipuram in South India in its archaeological significance.

Already beyond the reach of tourists, it cannot even be accessed by experts of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). But the invaluable sculptural works in Debtamura and Chhabimura areas of south Tripura?s Amarpur subdivision, currently covered in thick jungle, are in a worse condition...