Development

GUWAHATI, July 2 ? Wild animals straying into human habitation is something that has been happening with alarming frequency of late. So much so that the Assam State Zoo alone has made ?wild rescue? of as many as 84 animals and birds during a period of just three months from April 1 to June 30 this year. Of these, 29 were rescued in Guwahati itself. Last year also, the zoo recorded a total of 82 rescued animals and birds from different parts of the State, 69 of those occurring in the city.

Of the 84 animals, there are 32 mammals, 37 reptiles and 15 birds. The animals include tiger, leopard...

SHILLONG, July 2 ? Kidnapped Indian Forest Service official D Sathyen was released unharmed at Meghalaya's South Garo Hills district last night after about a fortnight amidst claims by the State government that no ransom had been paid to the abductors for his release. Sathyen, who is in-charge of Balpakram National Park, was escorted back to the Divisional Forest Officer's office at Baghmara in South Garo Hills district at 10.30 pm last night by some Forest officials, Pricipal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) V K Nautiyal said.

Sathyen was found to be in a healthy condition, he said but...

GUWAHATI, July 2 ? The Assam-Nagaland Border Co-ordination Students? Union ? a joint platform of the Golaghat district units of the All Assam Students? Union, All Bodo Students? Union, Assam Tea Tribes Students? Association and the All Assam Gorkha Students? Union ? will observe a 100-hour fast from 9 am of July 9 at Golaghat town demanding permanent settlement to the people of Doyang areas. The Co-ordination Committee has also demanded peaceful resolution of the border dispute with Nagaland, security to the life and property of the people living in the inter-State boundary areas and...

GUWAHATI, July 2 ? The Issac-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) was involved in yesterday?s attack on an eviction party in which one Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) of the State was killed in the Dhansiri Reserved Forest area of Karbi Anglong district. The encroachers were all from Nagaland and the armed militants of the NSCN faction backed them. The militants were equipped with sophisticated weapons like sniper rifles. They were backed by the armed militants of the faction from the Hebron designated camp. This camp is located within one km distance from...

Imphal, July 1: The banned Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) pulled up three leaders of a well-known women?s organisation in Manipur for taking money from a housewife. The KYKL asked the International Manipuri Mothers? Association president Khuman Leima, secretary Tejbati Devi and publicity secretary Ashangbi Devi of the Imphal-based organisation to surrender to the outfit within a week and also return the money (taken as bribe) to the housewife. A spokesman for the outfit said the three leaders took a sum of Rs 7,500 from Warokpam Sophia Devi of Wangoi Laiphrakpam Leikai in Imphal West promising...

Guwahati/New Delhi, July 1: Making a last-ditch effort to remain in the government, Assam PCC veterans have asked chief minister Tarun Gogoi to choose them over their younger colleagues in the new ministry because of their experience. The veterans said that as younger MLAs have age on their side, they could wait before joining the ministry.

AICC general secretary in charge of the Northeast, Digvijay Singh, today said the final list of ministers to be retained after the downsizing would be completed within the next couple of days.

?The chief minister has full liberty to decide his team and we...

Aizawl, July 1: The Human Rights Network of Indigenous-Tribal People, Northeast unit, has vehemently opposed the proposed laying of gas pipeline through Mizoram by South Korea?s Daewoo International Company and the Gas Authority of India Ltd, in view of the ecological damage.

Addressing a press conference today, president of the rights panel Rafael Thangmawia said a proposal has been drafted by the two companies whereby a pipeline for the gas to be extracted from the Arakan state in western Myanmar would be laid through the Chakma Autonomous District Council area in south Mizoram.

He said...

Shillong, July 1: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang is said to be troubled by the hectic lobbying that is still going on in Delhi to remain in the downsized state ministry. Though Lapang has just returned from Delhi after submitting his list of 12 ministers, former ministers and MLAs of his own party, the Congress, have not yet given up hope. Sources said that besides Lapang, other Congress leaders also carried their own lists to the capital. The deadline for downsizing the ministry from the existing 41 to 12 ministers is July 6.

A senior Congress leader said, ?There could be a few...

Kohima, July 1: The inquiry committee set up to probe the Rs 38,000 crore Nagaland lottery scam of 1998 has ruled out misappropriation of funds but criticised the functioning of the finance department. The scam had figured in the comptroller and auditor-general?s report of 1997-98 and several Congress leaders of the state as well as the Northeast had become embroiled in the controversy.

The CAG report had stated that the entire sale proceeds from tickets amounting to Rs 38,297.32 crore had not been deposited in the government account. It had also stated that the government?s agreement with the...

Nagaon, July 1: A senior Assam government official and a constable were killed when NSCN (I-M) militants attacked a team of police and civil officials on an eviction drive in the Dhansiri reserve forest in Karbi Anglong district today. Police sources said the team comprised personnel of Karbi Anglong police, commandos and the CRPF. The leader of the team, extra-assistant commissioner of Dhansiri Dipankar Das died on the spot, while the constable succumbed to his injuries later. Nine policemen were critically injured in the attack.

The militants, who had constructed at least 22 well...