GUWAHATI, April 5: The process of seat sharing between the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is progressing well and it will be finalised within the next two to three days, said the AGP president, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Addressing a press conference here today, Mahanta however, refused to divulge the details of the process of seat sharing. He justified the AGP's decision to go for seat sharing with the BJP and said, "a friendly Government at the Centre is always beneficial for the State and we see nothing wrong in going for an alliance with the NDA." He...

GUWAHATI, April 5: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) politburo members, Prakash Karat today called upon all Left and secular parties to come together to fight Congress and BJP allies in the forthcoming Assembly polls. Addressing a press conference here this morning, the CPM leader while branding AGP-BJP tie-up a "desperately opportunistic" one said for his party, the four-party alliance in the State cease to exist the day AGP went the BJP way. Stating that the CPM will stick to its national agenda of fighting both the Congress and the BJP in all the five States going to polls on...

AGARTALA, April 4: The Tripura government has admitted that at least eight persons died of water-borne diseases in the wake of a severe drought spell in the state. As all water sources in hilly interior areas dried up, tribal jhumia families were forced to drink contaminated and muddy water, which resulted in outbreak of gastroenteritis, hepatitis, measles, malaria in vast rural areas. Most affected are Chhamanu block, Gandacherra and Damburnagar block. Though the Rural Development Minister Jitendra Choudhury after his visit to the affected areas on Tuesday put the death toll at eight...

NEW DELHI, April 4: The delay in signing of the gas supply agreement between the ONGC and the Reliance Assam Petrochemical Limited (RAPL) has been attributed to inability of the oil company to provide quality assurance, forcing the members of the Parliamentary Committee attached to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry to seek the intervention of the chairman. The ONGC plea that it has not been able to sign the gas supply agreement with the RAPL on account of its inability to provide quality assurance on gas supplied for the mega gas cracker project found few takers in the Parliamentary...

ICHAMATI (Meghalaya-Bangladeshi Border) April 4: The normally bustling mining village of Ichamati, which along with nearby Shella and Borsora, is responsible for nearly 75 per cent of Meghalaya's lucrative limestone export trade with Bangladesh, has been quiet since February 20 this year. The sudden closure of Gate No. 7 on the border fence since that day by the BSF brought about an abrupt halt to the export trade to Bangladesh. This has affected not only the substantial revenue collection of the Meghalaya Government but also the livelihood of over 600 families dependent on the mining and...