SHILLONG, April 4 ? Meghalaya Government is keeping the doors open for discussions with the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) and the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), the two banned militant outfits in the State for a peaceful solution to the decade old problem, Chief Minister, Dr FA Khonglam, said Wednesday. He was replying to the discussions in the State Assembly on the amendments to the motion of thanks to the Governor?s address delivered on March 19. The State Government has already accepted the offer of the Shillong Khasi Jaintia Church Leaders? Forum (SKJCLF) to act...

SHILLONG, April 4 ? The Meghalaya Transport Minister, Cyprian R Sangma, on Wednesday said the NF Railway had closed down the Shillong Public Railway Reservation Counter as the Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) had diverted Rs 38,12,800 from the sale proceeds of railway tickets between October 1999 and June 2001, reports PTI. Replying to the call attention motion tabled by EK Mawlong (UDP) in the state Assembly on the misutilisation of the proceeds from the sale of railway tickets by MTC, Sangma admitted that there was misutilisation of railway money and efforts were being made with the...

KOHIMA, April 4? The State Government has introduced Nagaland Communitisation of Public Institutions and Services Bill 2002 to further consolidate the decentralisation process in the hill State, reports PTI. The bill, introduced by Local Self Government Minister Rokonicha, seeks to provide a legal framework to devolute more power to the community in matters connected with the management of public utilities, public services and activities of the state government in areas like school education, health, water supply, power, transport, roads, forests, sanitation and other welfare and development...

SHILLONG, April 4 ? The Union Government has taken a policy decision not to deploy the BSF on internal security duty and henceforth the troops will be guarding the international border only, said the Director General, BSF, Gurbachan Jagat. Addressing a ceremonial parade and investiture of the BSF here this morning, Jagat said ?The CRPF and the Rashtriya Rifles, which are now undergoing training in internal security duty, will replace the BSF troops which are currently on internal security duty.? ?Presently, as many as 50 BSF battalions are engaged on internal security duty, mainly in J&K, the...

GUWAHATI, April 4? Chief Ministers of North Eastern States who were in the list of special guests of Air India to travel on board its first flight from Guwahati to Bangkok, were barred from taking the flight together by an emergency directive from the Prime Minister?s Office. Sources informed that the Air India was asked by the PMO not to take so many VIPs including the NE-state Chief Ministers and Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Bijoya Chakraborty in the inaugural flight to Bangkok as no official programmes is being organised by Indian Embassy in the other end for the benefit of...