NEW DELHI, February 21 (PTI): New Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam today asked the centre to announce a total ceasefire in the Northeast on the lines of Jammu and Kashmir saying a partial initiative with only NSCN (IM) would not work. There has to be a total ceasefire like the one in J&K involving all the groups. The Centre should spell out whether the ongoing ceasefire (with NSCN-IM) has a geographical limit. The concept of this ceasefire has to be made clear, Koijam told reporters after his meeting here today with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Koijam, who also had meetings...

GUWAHATI, February 21: The consequent disastrous situations of an earthquake are mainly the results of the quality of the specific human societies to meet the challenges of the devastating power of the earthquakes these societies, are exposed to. This is the reason why the earthquakes of a similar magnitude fail to cause any significant damage to the peole of a prepared society, while it leaves behind trails of devastation for the people of the unprepared societies, said renowned seismologist Vinod Kumar Gaur here today. Gaur, presently a Distinguished Professor at the Centre for Astrophysics...

IMPHAL, February 21: To cope with the rising problems of accommodation faced by the students of north eastern region, the Northeastern Council, NEC, the apex body working for the development of the region has taken up the task of constructing two hostels, one for boys and another for girls at Delhi University. The 100-capacity hostels being constructed under the promotion of technical education sector of the Northeastern Council will be inaugurated soon, an official release stated today. Mentioning that the Council is also taking up development task successfully in other sectors, the release...

GUWAHATI, February 21: The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA), has made the Cachar Paper Mill of the Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC) at Panchgram to make an assurance through a court affidavit to abide by the pollution control norms by May 2 next and to deposit a security amount of Rs 5 lakh on the issue. Following this, the closure notice served on the Paper Mill has been withdrawn temporarily. Disclosing this, at a press conference here today, PCBA chairman Lakhsminandan Bora and its member secretary Mohini Sarma said that similar steps are also initiated against the Digboi Refinery and...

GUWAHATI, February 21: With tea tribes and a few other intra-party lobbies led by senior leaders demanding their share of party tickers to contest in the next Assembly election in the State, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) leadership is in a fix to prepare a well accepted list of aspirants to be referred to the party high command for the final selection of nominees. Sources in the party informed that the leaders of tea tribe community which has been a loyal vote bank for Congress party in the State, have this time demanded party nominations to contest from as many as 26 Legislative...