NEW DELHI, April 9 ? Even as the country entered 55th year of its independence, rural electrification in the North-east is likely to remain a distant dream for a majority of the rural folks, as flow of funds has been drastically cut in the wake of the serious resources crunch faced by the States. Even as the north eastern State Governments continue to suffer silently, a Parliamentary Committee stunned by the disparity in allocation of funds to the North-east as compared to the rest of the country has directed the Power Ministry to convene a meeting of the north eastern State Governments for...

Imphal, April 09: Four CRPF jawans were killed while two were injured when militants mounted an attack on a CRPF convoy at Pangei bazar today at about 2.30 pm. Two students including a girl were also killed. The market place was humming with activities when the attack came. Eight persons also received bullet injuries. Scores of civilians were injured when the CRPF went on a rampage. The injured have been admitted to RIMS and JN hospital. How the two students were killed is not clear. AMSU charged that they were killed by the CRPF after the militant attack. Sources said the 121 Bn CRPF...

GUWAHATI, April 8 ? Let the elephants live for the sake of humanity. Do not lead it to extinction, or else all of us will face the same fate, said noted elephant expert Parbati Barua while addressing a Guwahati Press Club function as the Guest of the Month at the Press Club premises here this morning. Smt Barua, a recipient of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)?s 1989 ?Global 500-Roll of Honour? award for elephant conservation, and daughter of the legendary expert on Asian elephant the Late Prakritesh Chandra Barua (Lalji), a descendant of the Gauripur Jamindars, regretted that...

GUWAHATI, April 8 ? Two CRPF constables were injured in a grenade attack in the Paltanbazar area in the heart of the city around 8.30 pm today, according to police sources here. Some unidentified militants around 8.30 this evening lobbed two grenades at a makeshift camp of the 64 battalion of CRPF injuring two of its jawans identified as Subhash Patil and CL Patil. The CRPF in retaliation fired around 20 rounds but the ultras managed to escape unhurt, police sources said. The two jawans have been shifted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital where their condition is stated to be out of...

GUWAHATI, April 8 ? Tea majors having estates in Assam may face privilege proceedings in Assam Assembly as Speaker Prithvi Majhi today informed the House that he would refer comments made by certain tea companies undermining the State Assembly resolution favouring shifting of tea headquarters to the State from Kolkata. AGP legislators Dilip Kumar Saikia and Zoiinath Sharma drew the attention of the Speaker to the ??objectionable?? comments made by officials of tea companies against the State Assembly resolution for shifting of tea headquarters to the State. The AGP legislators tabled newspaper...