GUWAHATI, May 20? Tea gardens are encroaching upon more than 25,000 bighas of government land, resulting in huge loss of revenue to the State Government, said the Minister in charge of Finance, Revenue and Power, Sri Devanand Konwar. Addressing a press conference here today, Sri Konwar revealed that the Government has taken a decision to regularise the encroachment by giving settlement to the concerned gardens with the payment of a premium, which would be 200 per cent more than the assessed market value. He said that some big tea companies have already come forward to take settlement of...

GUWAHATI, May 20 ? The Finance Minister Sri Devanand KoNwar today presented a grim financial position of the State and admitted that it would be difficult for the State Government to pay salaries to the employees without assistance from the Centre. Addressing a press conference today, Sri Konwar said that the debt burden of the State, which was Rs 10,600 crore when the present Government assumed office a year back, now stands at Rs 11,351 crore. The overdraft position of the State shot up the Rs 1300 crore at the beginning of this month and it now stands at Rs 700 crore.

The Finance Minister...

Imphal, May 20: In a significant ruling a single bench of the Gauhati High Court today stayed the Government's order to shift the 7 MR from Khabeisoi to Taphou. The interim verdict was issued by Justice B Lamare on a writ petition filed by 52 personnel of the battalion challenging the order to shift the 7 MR unit from Khabeisoi to Taphou post. The order was issued by the State Home Department on May 9. The decision to shift the 7 MR Bn to Taphou was taken during a Cabinet meeting held on April 25. Taphou is in Senapati district. The Khabeisoi complex was then to be handed over to the 3 IRB as...

GUWAHATI, May 19 ? State Transport Minister Anjan Dutta today informed that Assam Motor Vehicles Rules, 2002 would be framed within the year in order to streamline traffic system and enhance safety measures in all modes of transport. Talking to newsmen here, the Transport Minister informed that although the All India Motor Vehicle Act was passed in 1988, a corresponding Assam Motor Vehicle Rules was yet to be framed. He said the Assam Motor Vehicles Act which is being framed, is aimed at increasing revenue collection and minimising violation of traffic rules as well as implementing road safety...

GUWAHATI, May 19 ? The State government has chalked out a four-phase plan for the rehabilitation of the people displaced from their homes in the ethnic riots in Kokrajhar district in 1996 and 1998, and the process to rehabilitation is scheduled to start in the first part of June. Talking to The Assam Tribune today, the Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner, Dr A K Bhutani said that at present about 1,80,000 persons belonging to 33,000 families are living in 54 relief camps in the district and the State government has decided to release Rs 2 crore a month for the rehabilitation of the affected...