Imphal, July 01: A report by the Planning Commission of India on the number and percentage of population below poverty line for the year 1999-2000 has indicated that state government needs to give more emphasis to development activities in the rural areas than urban areas to justify the meaning of a welfare state. According to the report, in the year 1993-94, the state had 6.33 lakhs people living below poverty line in rural areas. This amounted to 45.01 percent of the total rural population. Whereas, in the year 1999-2000, the number of persons living below the poverty line in the rural areas...

DIBRUGARH, June 30 ? An abbreviation most in Assam love to hate these days is the ASEB : the Assam State Electricity Board. Nothing in the ASEB goes down well with the public, even as the Board?s employees are amongst the most pampered of government and semi-government staff in Assam today. Despite their personal financial well-being, these staff members have generally failed to carry out their responsibilities to the satisfaction of the electricity consuming public.

The latest ploy the Board has devised to swindle customers is the ongoing ?load survey? work. By this, the ASEB has reverted to...

AGARTALA, June 30 ?The Northeast Frontier Railways expects to invest Rs 500 crore by next financial year for extension of rail services in the north-eastern region. Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, general manager of the NF Railways Vipan Nanda said, the railway extension will also ensure employment of about 2,500 persons. As a part of its railway service improvement schemes, the NFR has already proposed to the Railway ministry for introduction of Passenger Reservation Systems (PRS) in some of the district headquarters of the north-eastern States.

Moreover, the general manager...

AIZAWL, June 30 ? A faction of former Mizo National Front (MNF) association on Sunday boycotted ?Remna Ni? or peace day, the 16th anniversary of the signing of accord between the Centre and the erstwhile underground MNF, report PTI. Peace accord MNF Retumees Association (PAMRA) leaders said that they decided to boycott the peace day as a plethora of provisions of the peace accord signed on June 30, 1986 were yet to be implemented by the Centre. They said provisions like establishment of a separate high court, implementation of border trade and payment of compensation and ex-gratia to the...

Imphal, June 30: The state archaeology, arts and culture department has picked out 25 historical monuments and sites in the state for their development. According to officials of the department, extensive improvement works on the selected monuments and sites will be carried out under 'Heritage Protection,' a central sponsored scheme. The official told IFP that the entire expenditure has been recommended by the 11th financial commission. Though he declined to disclosed the total amount of the project for obvious reasons, he maintained that it will be made available in a phased wise manner. The...