Imphal, July 09: The chief minister, O Ibobi Singh, has clarified that the IRB personnel involved in the killing of some NSCN (IM) cadres in an encounter at Pallel earlier this year have not been suspended from service, as alleged by Federal Party of Manipur MLA M Nilachandra Singh in the Assembly yesterday. Replying to the general discussion in the state budget for 2002-2003 this evening, the chief minister said the IRB personnel have neither been suspended nor rewarded. He expressed regret that the House has been misled by some Opposition members, and urged that matters which have not been...

GUWAHATI, July 8 ? The Government of India?s decision to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in tea industry in the country has failed to raise hopes for the crisis-ridden tea industry in Assam. Sources in the tea industry in the State informed that for the tea sector in Assam which has been going through a bad patch of late, the Government of India?s decision allowing FDI has come a bit late. With the tea prices falling steeply, decline in export volume and shrinking of even the domestic tea market due to invasion by Cola giants and coffe brands, the overall environment is not...

GOLAGHAT, July 8? The Kohora police arrested six persons and recovered six rhino horns and cash money from Kaziranga National Park area on July 1 last. They were involved in poaching and other anti-social activities also. The miscreants sold a rhino horn weighing 2 kilograms at Rs 30,000 to a businessman. The businessman belonged to Diring area. He later sold the same rhino horn at Rs. 3.50 lakh.

AGARTALA, July 8 ? The outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (Biswamohan group) has put forward pre-conditions for peace talks with the State government. The outfit said that it favoured a political solution to the militancy problem of the State but the ??dialogue should be on the question of sovereignty and independence of Twipra kingdom?. This if for the first time that the NLFT has come out with a specific and clear stand on the State government?s offer for peace negotiation. The NLFT in its recently published mouthpeice Yok said: ?The Government of India has always insisted that it...

IMPHAL, July 8?The decision of the State Cabinet to lift the prohibition from the five hill districts of Manipur in an effort to raise the State?s revenue, has led to a widespread opposition from rural bodies, particularly from the women?s organisation based in the hill areas. The State Cabinet took a decision to lift the ban on sale and consumption of Indian-make foreign liquor from the hill areas on June 5 last. However, bodies like Naga Women Union, Manipur, strongly opposed the government?s move to the ban, saying, ?why only in the hill areas.? The president of the Union and prominent Naga...