Kokrajhar, Jan. 6: Giving vent to its frustration over the impasse in Assam’s Bodo belt, the Bodoland Liberation Tigers (BLT) today accused the Tarun Gogoi government of deliberately delaying the formation of a new administrative set-up. The outfit’s secretary general, Derhasat Basumatary, said the state government need not have convened an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of constituting the proposed Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). “The state government began a never-ending process by convening an all-party meeting. It was nothing but a delaying tactic.”

Basumatary criticised the...

GUWAHATI, Jan 6 — While cellphone users in the rest of the country can celebrate the over 66 per cent reduction in STD call charges, those in Guwahati and Shillong will have to wait a while before they can join the celebrations. There is no immediate chance of a fall in current rates in the two North East cities, the only two in the region to have cellular phone services.

According to sources here, a rate-cut is possible only if the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), which carry the STD calls, decide to reduce its tariff. Currently, the BSNL peak STD rate is Rs 9 on an average. Last week...

NEW DELHI, Jan 6 — Two time Green Oscar winner and wildlife filmmaker Mike Pandey has now set his eyes on the rich biodiversity of the north-east and is looking forward to produce a series of documentaries on the region, reports PTI. He plans to prepare documentaries on themes ranging from wildlife to social issues concerning the area in an effort to disseminate information about the region to the world and seek solutions to the problems threatening its rich biodiversity.

“My dream to venture into the Northeast is more than a decade old and more so now, as I realise that the region is yet to...

Imphal, January 05: Even though the splinter group of the MSCP led by M Hemanta is understood to have stated that the MSCP has not withdrawn from the SPF coalition, confusion still reigns over the status of the party vis-?-vis the SPF Government as the Steering Committee of the SPF had already agreed to the withdrawal of the party from the coalition. Mention may be made that the MSCP under Lok Sabha MP Th Chaoba had snapped ties with the SPF on November 12 last year and subsequently announced the merger of the party with the BJP on November 14. However a number of disgruntled MSCP members led...

Dhekial (Golaghat), Jan. 5: Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Brindaban Goswami and his predecessor, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, today put up a rare show of unity at the launch of a mission to regain the party’s “lost touch”. Goswami and Mahanta sat next to each other on the dais during the party’s annual convention here, setting at rest speculation about a showdown between AGP factions owing allegiance to the two leaders.

Both leaders hit out at an unnamed faction, saying it was trying to cause a rift in the AGP. “An anti-party lobby has become very active, trying to divide party workers. This...