GUWAHATI, June 14 ? The eviction drives launched by the Forest Department at the directive of the Supreme Court, to free the State?s forest areas from encroachment may stand suspended during this monsoon and the State Government on June 17 will take stock of the overall situation relating to the on going eviction operations. Disclosing this at a press conference here this afternoon Minister of State for Forests (Independent Charge) Pradyut Bardoloi said that the State Government wanted to adopt a humanitarian approach which made a review of the overall situation a necessity.

While reminded of...

GUWAHATI, June 14 ? The presence of five women in the present Tarun Gogoi Ministry makes it a different Council of Ministers from all the previous ones in the State. The latest reshuffle-expansion exercise made Tarun Gogoi the Chief Minister with the largest contingent of lady ministers so far. Obviously a new trend has been set much to the glee of all women political activists in the State. This trend setting lady brigade of Tarun Gogoi is a mixture of experience and new blood. It has the veteran Dr Hemoprova Saikia, the widow of former Chief Minister and iron man of Assam Congress Late...

GUWAHATI, June 14 ? There is an increase of 1,22,825 voters in Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) since 1995 as per the draft electoral roll published in view of the ensuing GMC election. Announcing the publication of draft GMC electoral roll today, the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup district, AK Absar Hazarika informed that there were total 4,54,904 voters in all the 60 GMC wards compared to 3,32,079 voters as per the 1995 poll rolls. The draft GMC voters? list for each GMC ward will be in display in GMC Commissioner?s Office, concerned police stations/outposts, Revenue Circle office, Kamrup...

Imphal, June 14: Responding to the clarion call from the All Manipur United Clubs Organization, thousands of people came out and staged mass sit-in-protests at all the nook and corners of Manipur today. The mass sit-in-protest was called by AMUCO to protest the divisive policies pursued by the Indian Government and to coincide with the date the Bangkok Declaration which inserted the clause 'without territorial limit' in the cease fire agreement between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) was announced last year. AMUCO had declared that the day would be observed under the theme, "Manipur...

Imphal, June 13: Security personnel, believed to be Assam Rifles troops, seriously beat up several civilians, including a woman, during search operations in the early hours today at Thangmeiband Khoyathong Thingen Maru. According to local sources, several security personnel in combat fatigues forced their way into the house of one Naorem Andrin, 30, at Thangmeiband Polem Liekai and made a thorough search of the house. They also thrashed Andrin, and demanded that he produce the hidden UGs. The same security personnel later entered the house of one Sagolshem Inaocha Singh of the same locality...