Imphal, May 11: It will be a roller-coaster ride for Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh when he implements the new anti-defection legislation, which limits the size of ministries. According to the new law, the size of the Manipur ministry would be limited to only 12 members. The deadline for implementing this is July 7.

At the moment, the Secular Progressive Front (SPF) ministry has a total of 33 ministers, of whom 25 are of cabinet rank. The CPI, the other partner in the coalition, has five members and all of them are ministers — three of them of cabinet rank.

Ibobi Singh is well...

Aizawl, May 11: Experts have expressed reservations about the Mizoram government’s announcement on using organic manure for all agricultural and horticultural produce in the state. They believe that the government, which made the announcement last week, has set itself an impossible task. Speaking about the government’s ambitious plan, a state agriculture officer said it was foolhardy to use only organic manure in the entire state as it had proved to be a failure in the past.

“Instead of announcing the use of organic manure statewide, the government should have started in a small way by...

Kohima, May 11: Less than a year after its leaders from Ao-dominated Mokokchung defected to the Isak-Muivah group, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) today found itself further marginalised after its Chang region unit shifted allegiance en bloc to the rival camp.

Sources said NSCN (K) members from the Chang tribe formally joined the Isak-Muivah faction at a reconciliation meeting in Tuensang village. The outfit’s deputy kilonser (minister), Kughalo Mulatonu, got a scare around 4 pm yesterday when bullets fired by suspected NSCN (I-M) members narrowly missed him at Ambolo...

IMPHAL, May 11 – Southern Chandel bordering Myanmar has been plagued by the presence of various insurgent groups which were indulging in anti-national activities which are inimical to both the local population as well as the State. The Army authorities feel that the recent report on Army operation in Chandel district needs to be conveyed to the people in a correct perspective.

Reports of Army likely to use artillery guns and helicopter gun- ships in the operation in Sajik Tampak are incorrect, PIB (Defence wing) source said here. The Army authorities clarified that the basic rules of...

BAIRABI (Mizoram), May 11 – Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Friday inaugurated the first-ever thermal power project, costing Rs 85.95 crore and having a capacity of 22.92 megawatt, in this Mizoram-Hailakandi district (Assam) border town. The power plant would run on heavy furnace oil, estimated to be relatively cheaper than other fuel like diesel and gas.

In his inaugural speech, Zoramthanga said that the resources for construction of the Bairabi Hydro Project would soon be arranged and the works started.