IMPHAL, February 22: Nongpok Keithelmanbi and the chain of villages along the Thoubal Barrage, must rank as some of the most backward and remote areas in the state although the former village is only around 13 km from Yairipok bazar in the Imphal East district. The other villages, Nongbrang, Kamuching, Bungba Khullen and Laikhong villages all have one thing in common; extreme underdevelopment in terms of basic infrastructures. Complete lack of attention and consistent neglect of the state authorities in regards of transportation, communication, health, education, water supply and electricity...

NEW DELHI, February 22: An estimated Rs 13,280.86 crore would be transferred to Assam by the Central Government according to the recommendations of the Eleventh Finance Commission, the Minister of State for Finance, Bala Saheb Vikhe Patil disclosed here today. But the Minister, replying to a question tabled by Angou Singh of Manipur (Rajya Sabha), declined to comment whether financial position of the Northeastern States in the aftermath of implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission recommendation, were taken in account by the Eleventh Finance Commission. The Eleventh Finance Commission has...

DIBRUGARH, February 22: The long pending issue of bifurcating the Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation (HFC) by establishing a separate corporate identity for its Namrup units continues to remain in a limbo, causing much consternation among workers of the Namrup units. The Namrup Fertilizer Shramik Union (NFSU), which has been spearheading an agitation for the bifurcation, is now afraid that political infighting among the NDA constituents may delay the matter further. Speaking to The Assam Tribune here today, the NFSU president, Tileswar Borah said that though the Union Ministry for Fertilizer and...

GUWAHATI, February 22: Former Lok Sabha Speaker, PA Sangma today said the Central Government and the people from the industry should realise that development was the pre-condition for restoration of peace in insurgency-ravaged Northeast region. Speaking as a special guest at the inauguration on two-day 'Guwahati Initiative' - an international conference on business opportunities in the Northeastern region organised jointly by the FINER and the FICCI with support from the NEC and the State Government - here this afternoon, Sangma said large-scale unemployment in this under developed region had...

GUWAHATI, February 22: Captains of the industry have underlined the need for the removal of ground-level obstacles and impediments in the Northeast before expecting huge investment in the region. Speaking at the international conference on "Business opportunities in Northeast India-Guwahati Initiative," president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Chirayu R. Amin said a number of ground-level realities like land use policies, labour mobility and lack of market integration have to be addressed in the region before expecting huge investment. The two-day...