IMPHAL, April 3: Security forces have resumed counter-insurgency operations in Manipur after holding fire for over a month. The resumption of counter-insurgency operations follows the Union home ministry's rejection of a proposal to extend the duration of the Yaoshang (Holi) ceasefire by another month. Sources said Army and Assam Rifles personnel had apprehended eight militants since resuming operations yesterday. Police are, however, yet to resume their offensive against militant outfits. Director-general of police D.S. Grewal told The Telegraph today that the state government was yet to...

SHILLONG, April 3: The Meghalaya Government has requested the Centre to complete the entire fencing on the 423-km-long international boundary as the fence has been of great help in checking of illegal influx of Bangladeshis into the hill State, State Chief Minister EK Mawlong said today. The Union Government has intimated to the state government that fencing on an additional stretch of 201 km on the border will be completed by 2007 leaving only a stretch of 44 km to be fenced, he told the State Assembly. Asked about the steps taken for checking infiltration of foreigners into the State...

IMPHAL, April 3: The disqualification order passed by the state Speaker in November last year against the agriculture minister, Thangminlien Kipgen has been revived by the Supreme Court, according to a reliable report from New Delhi. According to the report, the Supreme Court today vacated the two earlier orders of the Gauhati High Court, which had stayed the operation of the Speaker's order of November 17, 2000, disqualifying Thangminlien Kipgen under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. Mention may be made that the November 17 order of the Speaker, Sapam Dhananjoy, was stayed on November...

IMPHAL, April 4: The Gauhati High Court Imphal Bench had on March 29 suspended the order of the Principal Secretary, Finance for terminating services of all the employees appointed with effect from Apri1 1, 1999. Justice JN Sharma passed the interim verdict on a petition filed by an association of newly appointed teachers falling under the Autonomous District Council, Churachandpur. The 92 teachers of the association were appointed in June 1999 through a DPC in November 1998. The court viewed that the teachers cannot be terminated as per the order issued by the Principal Secretary on March 19...

GUWAHATI, April 3: The Left parties' honeymoon with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is finally over as the ruling four-party alliance has broken up following AGP's move to go for poll adjustments with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ministers belonging to the CPI and the Samajwadi Party in the AGP-led Ministry will formally tender their resignations within a day or two and efforts are on form a new Left-Democratic alliance by the constituents of the Peoples' Front. Talking to The Assam Tribune here today, the president of the Assam unit of the Samajwadi Party and State Irrigation Minister...