SHILLONG, February 18 (UNI): At least 393 earthquakes measuring between two and seven on the Richter scale have rocked parts of Northeast, besides border areas of Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan since 1980. But more than 80 percent of those tremors could hardly be felt in large parts of the region. According to the Central Seismological Observatory Center here, out of these tremors, 22 quakes measuring between 5 and 6.6 on the Richter could have shaken large parts of the region. Most of them had their epicenters on Indo-Bangladesh border near Silchar, Indo-Myanmar border near Mizoram and...

GUWAHATI, February 17: The Central Government should take up capital projects in developing infrastructures like roads, power generation and irrigation system, rather than concentrating on spoon-feeding through long term incentives, for the sustainable development of the NE region, said business economist Gautam Prasad Barua. Barua, a former Corporate Vice-President of Williamson Magor and at present the Banking Ombudsman for NE Region, while talking to The Assam Tribune, said, when asked as to what measures he would suggest for inclusion in the Central Budget being placed in the Parliament a...

SILCHAR, February 17: Another hurdle in the way of the 1500-MW Tipaimukh hydel power project has been removed with tribal leaders spearheading a movement against it agreeing to the project. The Rs 3,200-crore project is the largest ever multipurpose scheme in the Northeast. Tribal leaders of a vigilante group named the Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Power Project Affected Villages Welfare Association, who had earlier opposed the project, have now veered round to put their seal of approval on it. Association president Chaltonlien Amo and association secretary S.L. Gangte, in a letter to Prime...

SHILLONG, February 17: To check influx of foreigners into India, the Meghalaya Government has suggested introduction of identity cards for the people in the state. A ten-point recommendations of the working group constituted by the State Government suggested distribution of identity cards within a period of five years. The recommendations were submitted to Chief Minister E K Mawlong yesterday. The report stressed on the need for reorganising the Prevention of Infiltration of Foreigners schemes and identification of infiltration-prone areas. The working group was set up in December 1999 under...

BEHALI, February 17: The timely intervention of the Sonitpur district administration and stiff objection by the Assam Government to its counterpart Arunachal Pradesh has led to the deferment of the proposed inauguration ceremony of Tarasoo revenue circle inside the Behali Reserve Forest in Sonitpur district which the Arunachal Pradesh government claims as their own territority. Talking to The Assam Tribune, the deputy commissioner of Sonitpur, Naba Kumar Chetia said that all preparations were completed by the Arunachal government to inaugurate the circle today by the Chief Minister of...