GUWAHATI, March 5: The efforts made so far is the State to lay the foundation for an all-out preparedness for mitigating the hazards associated with a high-magnitude earthquake is not satisfactory as apart from holding public meetings to make the people aware of earthquake hazards and organising demonstrations by the Civil Defence on rescue operations, full assessment of vulnerable areas and the vulnerability of public buildings and training the people in precautionary/safety measures are still awaited, said noted seismologist Surya Kanta Sarma here today. Meanwhile, when contacted...

KOHIMA, March 5: Nagaland Forests Minister TR Zeliang has urged the Centre to revive the Supreme Court's order restricting commercial exploitation of forests in the State in view of special status enshrined in the Constitution, reports PTI. The Apex Court has restricted timber business in the Northeastern States since 1996. However, a few mills are being allowed to recommence their activity with the permission from a High Power Committee (HPC), constituted by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, after the Supreme Court relaxed the earlier restrictions in an interim order last year. "The...

ITANAGAR, March 5: A 75-year-old villager of Tippi in West Kameng district was killed by a wild elephant recently, forest official said. Cases of increased attacks on human habitation by wild elephants were reported from several parts of the state. Recently, a herd of wild elephants entered the forest colony at Nomara in East Kameng district, and killed a forest guard. The pachyderm damaged at least 15 government buildings, including a forest inspection bungalow, reports UNI. Forest Minister Nabam Tuki accompanied by Information and Public Relations Minister Takam Sanjoy and Education Minister...

IMPHAL, March 5: Twentyeight lunatics currently lodged in Sajiwa Central Jail, Sajiwa are to be transferred to the Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Science, Kanke for medical treatment as the facilities for their treatment do not exist in Manipur, the state home department has informed the Manipur Human Rights Commission. The Home Department, in a letter, also informed that a sum of Rs 50,736 has been sanctioned to meet the expenses for the transfer of the mentally ill inmates. On the other hand, according to Commission sources, the deputy secretary, health, has furnished the...

IMPHAL, March 5 (PTI): The Centre today sanctioned a grant of Rs 100 crore to bail out Manipur from its financial crisis, Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam said today. "The Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha informed me today that a sum of Rs 100 crore has been sanctioned to the State which did not have money even to pay salaries and pensions", Koijam told reporters in Delhi. The amount sanctioned would be sufficient for the time being to pay pending salaries and pensions, he said. The Minister of State for Finance S Loken assured that with this amount the Government will be able to pay...