ITAKHOLA, April 10 ? On a journey by boat, particularly after the onset of autumn along the Brahmaputra from any part of Assam, one can see numerous small and large chars (river islands) inhabited by religious minority people. Is there any one to think about these people? No, the political leaders use them as vote bank. The chars mostly dotted with huts and cultivation around hardly attracts anyone?s attention. The inhabitants of the chars who consist of 30 per cent of the total population of the State usually remain detached from the mainstream of the state. The people have to leave in most...

AGARTALA, April 10 ? The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), an ally of opposition Congress has decided to launch State-wide agitation from May first week on various burning issues. INPT general secretary Rabindra Debbarma said, a delegation would visit New Delhi in the second week of the next month to give a deputation on more power to the ADC, law and order situation of the State and solution to the tribal problems. The INPT team will include among others party?s advisory committee chairman Shyamcharan Tripura Harinath Debbarma, Bijoy Hrangkhawl, Rabindra Debbarma, CEM of ADC KM...

AGARTALA, April 10 ? The ongoing railway construction works in Tripura once again suffered a major blow when suspected NLFT militants abducted eight employees from a construction camp near Manu in Dhalai district. Sources said, the incident happened at around 5.30 pm on April 8 last when the workers had just returned to their camps at Jarulcherra. A group of 10 to 12 armed NLFT militants attired in olive green fatigues reached the Jarulcherra camp and asked the workers to come out of the camp. The militants at gun point took away with them the eight workers. Among the abducted persons, six...

GUWAHATI, April 9 ? The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has undertaken a promotional scheme for commercialisation of some important medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) of the region with special emphasis on Patchouli, an aromatic plant used widely in perfumes, medicines and toiletry. Sri J P Saikia, the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of NEDFi said this at the three-day National Workshop on Commercialisation of Patchouli that began at the Assam Administrative Staff College here today. A number of experts, scientists, farmers, entrepreneurs and industrialists...

AGARTALA, April 9 ? Tripura Gantantrik Manch (TGM) a breakway group of the ruling CPM has vowed to offer an ?alternative? to the present political equation dominated by ruling Left Front and opposition Congress. The Manch which maintains close relations with Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS) of Saifuddin Choudhury of West Bengal has kept doors open for all secular and democratic forces for the proposed ?alternative?. TGM leader and former MP Ajay Biswas said his party will contest the ensuing Assembly elections in Tripura. Preparations for fighting the polls have already started throughout...