SIVASAGAR, July 2 ? Of 3420 hectares of illegally occupied land out of 4,834 hectares of Deroi-Rangoli Reserve Forest in Sivasagar district, 1,111 hectares have been thoroughly cleared of illegal encroachers by forest-officials during the 10-day eviction drive from June 3 to 13 last. The DFO, Forests, Sivasagar informed that most of the encroachers were established businessmen grabbing forest land rampantly in guise of small tea growers. The entire Deroi-Rangoli Reserved Forest was reduced to denuded wasteland area by unscrupulous timber traders who recklessly felled valuable trees...

GUWAHATI, July 2 ? More than 143 square kilometre of land belonging to the National Parks and wild-life sanctuaries in Assam is under encroachment by doubtful citizens and so far the State Government has not taken any step to evict those people, alleged the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). In a petition to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sri Hitendra Nath Goswami and Sri Dilip Kumar Saikia, the chief whip and secretary of the AGP legislature party, said that encroachment of the forest land by illegal settlers reached menacing proportion. A number of doubtful citizens managed to enter Assam...

KOHIMA, July 2 ? Senior leaders of the Issac-Muivha faction of NSCN, which entered into a ceasefire with the Centre in August 1997, have stressed strengthening the current Naga peace process by bringing about understanding and reconciliation among different underground groups, reports PTI. AK Lungalang, newly appointed ?kilo kilonser? (home minister) of the underground outfit, said NSCN (I-M) would explore all possibilities to spread awareness to strengthen the ongoing peace process. It was fully committed to unity and reconciliation within the ?parameters of national principles,? he said.

Lu...

GUWAHATI, July 2 ? Former Finance Minister of the State Jiba Kanta Gogoi, who was till date an MLA representing Khumtai Legislative Assembly Constituency (LAC) in the State Assembly, died at the International Hospital here around 11.45 this morning following a protracted illness. He was 62.

Sri Gogoi, the fifth of the six sons of Late Gandharam Gogoi and Late Jaya Gogoi of Khumtai, also served as the Speaker of the State Assembly for about one and half year, since July 29, 1991. He was elected from Khumtai in 1983, 1991 and 2001. In 1983, he was made a Minister of State for Industries by Late...

NEW DELHI, July 2? Assam Government is likely to constitute an expert committee to examine the entire gamut of issues involv-ing encroachment of forest land in the State and formulate an Action Plan. This was conveyed at the Congress party?s Manifesto Review Committee meeting here this morning by Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi. The meeting was attended by Dr. Manmohan Singh, AICC general secretary in-charge for Assam, Mohsina Kidwai, general secretary, Oscar Fernandes besides Assam Congress chief, Paban Singh Ghatowar, took stock of the implementation of the promises made by Congress party in...