KOKRAJHAR, June 27 – The State Government has extended ceasefire agreement with the Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam (ACMA) upto February 2005. The decision for extension of ceasefire has been taken at a meeting which was held on June 23 between Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and a delegation of ACMA. The meeting was held at the CM’s chamber in Janata Bhawan, informed Xabrias Khakha, chairman of ACMA.

Khakha further informed that beside the Chief Minister, Khagen Sharma, Inspector General of Police (special branch), Kanhu Murmu, Chammander in-chief, S Munda, education and environment secretary and...

GUWAHATI, June 27 – Floods have caused considerable damage in various parts of the State, and with the rainy season yet to reach its peak, there are fears that large tracts of cropland as well as settlements, and natural habitat are in a perilous situation. Reports coming in from different areas suggest that the lack of proper embankments, drainage system, and poor condition of infrastructure – roads and bridges in particular, have created a scenario where flood would cause widespread damage to life and property. People in those areas, which for a long time have experienced the fury of floods...

GUWAHATI, June 27 – If Assam remains underdeveloped today, compared to the rest of the country, a large part of the blame has to go to the all-India financial institutions (AIFIs) who have, over the years, invested little in this part of the country. This, when they have no qualms in garnering resources from the region. Available data suggest that Assam has not been receiving due attention in respect of sanction and disbursement of finance by these institutions when compared with the position of some of the comparatively developed States as well as the country as a whole. As a result, the...

GUWAHATI, June 27 – State Ministers continued to tender their resignations to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for the second day today to enable him to downsize the Ministry, and so far 25 Ministers have tendered their resignations. The Ministers took a decision during an informal meeting on June 25 that all of them would resign en masse to enable the Chief Minister to downsize his Ministry and the Ministers started tendering their resignations one by one since yesterday.

Since this morning, State Ministers visited the residence of the Chief Minister one by one to submit their resignation letters...

Imphal, June 26: Prominent social organizations of Nagaland today warned of a collapse of the peace process between the Centre and NSCN factions if the Government did not recognize their demand for unification of all Naga dominated areas in North East as a "non-negotiable issue". "Unification of all Naga areas under a single administration is our birth right and a non-negotiable issue ...the extension of ceasefire between the Centre and NSCN factions could be a problem if this demand is not accepted," Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) spokesman Neingulo Krome told reporters here...