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SHILLONG, April 5— There is no move to bring the Garo Hills under the purview of the Disturbed Areas Act, Meghalaya Home Minister, R G Lyngdoh has said. Talking to The Assam Tribune in his office chamber here Friday, the Home Minister said the government does not want to deploy army in the militant-infested Garo Hills. “Army deployment usually leads to harassment of innocents as witnessed in the neighbouring states,” Lyngdoh observed. He, however, cautioned that if the situation did not improve in the Garo Hills the government might be compelled to seek military assistance.

Meanwhile, the...

New Delhi, April 5: The Meghalaya government has begun preparing a policy to turn the state into a favoured tourist destination and to open up new avenues for employment and income-generation.

Meghalaya tourism minister and former chief minister, F.A. Khonglam, said the policy was necessitated by the “lack of response” in the sector “despite the state’s tremendous potential”.

“It is surprising that the previous governments did not think of formulating a policy that would clearly spell out the thrust areas in this sector. Now that the exercise has begun, we expect it to be completed before...

GUWAHATI, April 4 — Hit hard by severe fund crunch and sheer apathy of the State Government, the Jyoti Chitraban Film and Televsion Institute, the only AICTE — approved institute in the North-East providing theoretical and practical training in all aspects of film and televsion programmes production, is today gasping for breath. Set up in 1999 by the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio Society, the institute has been rendering yeoman’s service for all those aspiring youths who want to make a career in film and video programme production, besides meeting to a great extent the perennial shortage of...

GUWAHATI, April 4— Assam now has four state symbols. The State Cabinet recently approved the rhino as the ‘State animal’ the white-winged Wood Duck as the ‘State bird’, the fox-tail orchid as the ‘State flower’ and the hollong as the ‘State tree’. The symbols reflect the State’s rich flora and fauna, its culture and heritage, Assam Minister of State (Independent) for Forests Pradyut Bordoloi announced here today. Bordoloi, who was addressing presspersons at the Janata Bhavan, said that every State in the country has been adopting its symbol having their state animal, bird, flower and tree...

GUWAHATI, April 4 — The Centre has released Rs 233.93 crore in cash and 1,63,626 metric tonne of rice (valued at Rs 196.35 crore) to Assam as the second instalment of rural development funds for the year 2002-03 to implement various rural development programmes in the State. Making this announcement during a press conference here today, Assam Minister of State (Independent) for Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) Ripun Bora said that the Central grant is unique in the sense that money has been given for the entire package of rural development projects. Assam is the second State in the...