Imphal, April 04: In an interesting political turn, the two member of Democratic People?s Party (DPP) may quit the Opposition Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) and join the ruling Secular Democratic Front (SPF). The DPA is a conglomeration of five political parties ? FPM, BJP, Samata Party, MPP and DPP. The Congress sent a formal written missive to the DPP yesterday inviting the latter to the ruling front. An emergency meeting of the DPP was held today and the invitation was discussed by the party?s leadership. The DPP leadership discussed the pros and cons of joining the SPF but a final...

SHILLONG, April 3 ? Meghalaya Transport Minister Cyprian R Sangma Tuesday informed the Assembly that the State Transport Corporation was incurring a monthly loss of Rs 27 lakh, reports PTI. Replying to a question of the Opposition member, TH Rangad (BJP), Sangma said the monthly expenditure of the Corporation was Rs 50 lakh, while its earning was Rs 23 lakh, leading to a monthly loss of Rs 27 lakh. The loss was due to the fact that only 51 buses were on the road, while 29 others were lying in the workshop, he said. Besides, high cost of maintenance, high cost of diesel, petrol, lubricants and...

ITANAGAR, April 3 ? Congress Chief Minister Mukut Mithi has written a letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee urging him to prevent the underground faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland led by Isaac Muivah from climing that most tribals in the Arunachal Pradesh were Nagas, reports PTI. Government spokesman Takam Sanjoy told newsmen today that Mithi had informed his cabinet about the letter yesterday at a meeting. The NSCN(IM), he said, had claimed in printed material circulated that most tribals in Arunachal were Nagas, he said. He said, Arunachal Governor Arvind Dave had...

GUWAHATI, April 3 ? Congress nominee Sri Tanka Bahadur Rai has been elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly today following the withdrawal of the candidature of the opposition sponsored candidate Sri Abdul Jabbar. As soon as the Speaker Prithvi Majhi announced that six nomination papers-four on behalf of Sri Rai and two for Sri Jabbar, were filed for the election to the post of Deputy Speaker, the leader of the AGP legislative party, Sri Brindaban Goswami announced their decision to withdraw the candidature of Sri Jabbar. However, he expressed the view that...

GOLAGHAT, April 2 ? In North Numbor Reserve Forest and Upper and Lower Doigrung Reserve Forest within Golaghat district, a census of wild elephants was undertaken by the Forest Department recently. In the forest, covering an area of 19,500 hectares, the census found only 56 wild elephants. It may be mentioned here that according to a census report in 1997, the number of wild elephants was 109. This Correspondent recently visited the entire Numbor reserve forest and met Kanchan Baruah, vice-president of Numbor Surakhya Samittee, a NGO of Golaghat, who said that the forest ranger of Juria Dalang...