BISWANATH CHARIALI, March 8: An Assamese inscription engraved on a stone pillar was found inside the precincts of the present Biswanath Temple of Sonitpur district by MC Das, GC Ramachandran, T Das and Goswami on February 25 last. Receiving the information Nityananda Gogoi and Khiradhar Borua of Biswanath College visited the site next day and found the pillar under a 'bhaluka' bamboo grove about 20 m away from the Biswanath Temple (repaired) towards north-eastern direction. Gogoi says that although the full text of the inscription is yet to be deciphered due to its badly mutilated condition...

ITANAGAR, March 8: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi has stressed the need to develop medicinal plants and other horticultural and forest species in the state. Speaking at the inaugural function of the Horticulture and Forestry College, the first of its kind in the state, at Pasighat, the district headquarters of East Siang, yesterday, Mithi said, "The foothills zone of the state is suitable for growing citrus fruits, guavas, bananas, pineapples, large cardamoms, black pepper, plums, pears and vegetables. "Production of apples, walnuts and kiwis should be developed on the rain...

NEW DELHI, March 8: The National Highways in Northeast are finally likely to witness repair work, with the Ministry of Surface Transport (MoST) sanctioning Rs 250.80 crore for its development. The earmarked amount being 10 per cent of the total budgetary allocation of Rs 2508 crore of the MoST. The sanction of the entire 10 per cent of the allocation earmarked for the region on development of NHs is part of the proposal to attach top priority for development of infrastructure including airports, railways, power and NHs to remove the sense of isolation. The detail of the project work undertaken...

NEW DELHI, March 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to take the final decision on the issue of forging an alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and now it is left to the Central leadership of the BJP to take the final decision in this regard. The State unit leaders of the BJP today held a day-long meeting to discuss the issue after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday directed them to revaluate their stand on an alliance with the AGP. The State unit of the BJP decided to stick to their stand to opposing an alliance with the AGP and briefed the party president Bangaru...

GUWAHATI, March 8: With less than a couple of months to go for the Assam Assembly elections, the ruling four-party alliance partners are still not sure whether to stick with the alliance. In the neighbouring State West Bengal, which will also go to polls along with Assam, the major political parties have already started the process of announcing the names of their candidates, but in Assam the ruling alliance partners are yet to start the discussions for seat sharing. The State Committee secretary of the CPM, Hemen Das today said that the alliance partners are yet to meet to formulate their...