NEW DELHI, February 24: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has identified three new sites including Surya Pahar, Ahom palace Talatalghar and Charaideo Maidam No. 2 in Assam for scientific excavations during the current year, the Minister for Tourism, Ananth Kumar disclosed this here today. The three monuments selected for excavation are in Goalpara and Sivasagar districts. The ASI has declared 49 monuments to be of national importance in Assam, the Minister further said, adding that they were all in good state of preservation. The Minister informed Arun Kumar Sarma that the Tourism...

KOHIMA, February 24: Union Home Minister L K Advani today assured the people of the Northeast that New Delhi would do all possible to restore peace in the region, saying "Centre is very much conscious about the happenings in the north eastern states," reports PTI. Expressing happiness over the people's desire for peace, the Home Minister said the Centre has been trying to discover ways and means to restore peace, bring development, generate employment opportunities in the strifetorn region. The NDA government was very concerned from the outset about the Northeast and continuously endeavoured...

SHILLONG, February 24: Meghalaya Chief Minister E K Mawlong may have weathered the recent political storm and brought stability to his nearly one-year-old ministry by vanquishing his political opponents, at least for the time being, but he may find it difficult to tackle his non-political yet powerful adversaries in the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) and the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP). Riding the crest of popular support for a regional party government, led by powerful NGOs like the KSU, FKJGP and others, the United Democratic Party (UDP) formed a coalition government in...

GUWAHATI, February 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party is going to fight the next Assembly election in the State with the 'aim' to capture power on its own, the BJP national general secretary (organisation) Narendra Modi today said while ruling out any poll alliance with the ruling AGP as per the wishes of the State BJP unit. Modi who is here to attend the two-day conference of central office-bearers of the party being held outside New Delhi for the first time, reiterated that there was no possibility of any electoral understanding with the AGP as the State BJP was opposed to it. He, however, said...

GUWAHATI, February 24: The State Assembly yesterday passed the Mishing Autonomous Council (Amendment) Bill, 2001, which is a further amendment to Mishing Autonomous Council Act, 1995, by voice vote amid protest from members belonging to Bodo political parties. As per the amendment effected yesterday, the General Council shall consist of 40 members out of which 36 shall be directly elected and four shall be nominated by the government with the concurrence of Mishing Autonomous Council from amongst the groups of communities residing in the Council area and not otherwise represented in the...