New Delhi, May 24: Making a case for a “different approach” towards the region, new Union minister P.R. Kyndiah today said he intended to add teeth to the department for development of the northeastern region. Kyndiah said “peace through development” was the need of the hour and Doner would ensure that.

“All efforts will be made to bring the Northeast on a par with the mainland in terms of economic development. Flow of funds will be ensured and the non-lapsable pool will be rationalised,” he told the media at Vigyan Bhavan, where the department is based.

The Congress leader from Meghalaya is...

Nagaon, May 24: United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) will soon meet the new Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, with the charter of demands that the Karbi militant group placed before the NDA government two years back. The open platform of the political and non-political organisations of the twin hill districts of Assam, the Common Parliamentary Forum, will also send a team of delegates to New Delhi to press the new government to find a fruitful solution to the problem of insurgency.

UPDS publicity secretary Tong-eh-Nongloda today said in Diphu that a team of delegates, led by the senior...

Jorhat, May 24: Nagaland today cried foul over the eviction of 16 Naga families from their homes in the vicinity of the Desoi Valley reserve forest, re-igniting the border land dispute that has been a thorn in its otherwise cordial relationship with Assam. Mokokchung deputy commissioner Imkon Tamchu formally complained about this to his Jorhat counterpart, saying the dispute would intensify if Assam “continues to evict Naga villagers from their land”.

Jorhat is one of the four districts bordering Nagaland.

Tamchu said a police team from Assam raided Charang Basti, a Naga-inhabited village...

IMPHAL, May 24 – The Manipur Police is likely to give the finishing touches to the ongoing massive manhunt in the Sajik Tampak area in the Southern Chandel district bordering Myanmar to flush out insurgents. Army troops have been carrying out combing operation since mid-April in and around the Sajik Tempak area, over 100 km south of Imphal near the Indo-Myanmar border. A brigade headquarter of the Army, comprising the 29 Madras Regiment, 7 Sikh light infantry and 9 Rajput Rifles, has been installed at the Chakpikarong area in the southern Chandel district for intensifying their counter...

SHILLONG, May 24 – After stopping coal export to the neighbouring country of Bangladesh from Meghalaya for 22 days, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday allowed ‘safe passage’ to coal-laden trucks to ply on the road along the international border at Borsora in the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The BSF had ostensibly suspended traffic movement along the border road on security concerns, thereby bringing about a complete halt to the export of coal to Bangladesh from the state. Coal exporters, however, described the move as an example of the alleged “highhandedness” resorted to...