SHILLONG, May 26 – Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang yesterday scotched reports of dropping some of his allies from his Council of Ministers while denying alliance with NCP, reports PTI. “There is no substance in these reports. I do not find time to reply to those,” Lapang, a senior Congress leader, told a scribe who asked him to comment on his reported move to drop some of his coalition partners from the government. Lapang heads a Meghalaya Democratic Alliance comprising four parties and some independents.

There was a report in the section of the Press and strong rumour doing the rounds...

GUWAHATI, May 26 – It would be better to open up the North East to Bangladesh rather than try to link up the region with Myanmar, suggested French scholar Renaud Egreteau here today. Egreteau, who was speaking at a seminar in the city, felt that India should “think twice” before opening up to Myanmar.

Egreteau was invited by The Centre for Northeast India, South and Southeast Asia Studies (CENISEAS) of the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development to speak on the topic: “India’s Northeast: Gateway or Boundary with Myanmar?” Egreteau is a doctoral candidate in Political Science...

AIZAWL, May 26 : Mizoram council of ministers endorsed the draft prposals for laying down of arms by the underground Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) cadres and repatriation of Brus lodged in Tripura relief camps, state Chief Secretary said here today. HV Lalringa told PTI that the decision was taken by the council of ministers which met yesterday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Zoramthanga.

GUWAHATI, May 26 – Though the anti-smuggling operations by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Indo-Bangla border have been paying rich dividends, the border guarding agency has not been able to completely check smuggling mainly because of the terrain along the border. Seizure of smuggled goods by the BSF increased considerably in the last few years with the increase in the strength of the border guarding force along the Indo-Bangla border. Only late last night, more than 200 kilograms of ganja worth about Rs 12 lakh was seized by BSF near the Mahamaya char in Dhubri district. BSF...

NEW DELHI, May 26 – The controversy over the demand for greater Nagaland is sought to be settled with the United Progressive Alliance likely to endorse a demand for maintaining territorial integrity of the north eastern states, even as the NDA Government’s much-touted River Inter-linking Project faces an uncertain future. The UPA Government is all set to examine the techno-economic feasibility the project. But good news is in store for the north eastern states particularly the oil producing Assam, as due to pressure from the Left allies, a clause to review the crude royalty is under...