NEW DELHI, June 25 – A high level of alcohol abuse has been reported from the North-east, in addition to high opiate use, even as the population of drug users including alcohol users countrywide has touched 75 million, a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (NDOC) survey said.

First the good news, the menace of abuse like injecting drugs is not restricted to North-Eastern States although this is common perception but fairly widespread, the national survey ‘the Extent, Pattern and Trends of Drug Abuse in India’ said. The bad news is that besides reports of high drug use, a new phenomenon...

NEW DELHI, June 25 – Governor of Assam and the chairman of North Eastern Council (NEC), Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh has been asked to streamline the Council to ensure speedy implementation of the development projects. Minister DONER, PR Kyndiah gave this direction to the NEC chairman when he called on him this morning on a courtesy visit.

Lt Gen Singh apprised the Minister, DONER about the road maps of the NEC’s North-East inter States development projects in various sectors like agriculture, communications, roads, transport among others. Kyndiah said that NEC should streamline its role for...

NEW DELHI, June 25 – The UPA Government’s stand on maintaining territorial integrity of North-Eastern States threatens to snowball into a major controversy with the Naga organisations hardening their stand on the issue. A delegation of three prominent Naga bodies including Naga Students’ Federation, Naga Mothers’ Association and Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights today conveyed to Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh that the issue of unification of Naga areas was non-negotiable.

“Whatever be the outcome of the peace negotiations, integration of all Naga areas will remain non-negotiable as...

Kohima, June 24: Neitho became a junkie within a year of trying to satiate his “curiosity” and Sedevituo became addicted to the “high” of drugs as a high school junior in Kohima. Fortunately, both are out of that dark phase of their lives and have been inspired to write their stories as part of a novel anti-drugs campaign.

Initiated by Kripa Foundation, which helped the two youths and many others kick the habit, the new campaign highlights the importance of mental detoxification along with physical rehabilitation. The compilation of personal stories will be released on Saturday, which is the...

Silchar, June 24: The Mizoram government’s failure to rope in funding agencies has affected hydel power projects in the state. The hydel plant at Bairabi has received a setback because of lack of funds. Another project, a dam across the Tuivai river, continues to be mired in uncertainties though its implementing agency, the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (Neepco), has already initiated techno-economic and environment clearances.

The hydel project at Tuirial in north Mizoram, capable of generating 60 MW of power, may not be commissioned before 2006. According to sources in the...