SHILLONG, April 30 — Mining of the uranium deposits in the West Khasi Hills would ultimately bring in rich dividends for Meghalaya as a whole, Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) authorities have reiterated in the wake of prominent NGOs of the State vehemently opposing the proposed project. Advisor to the UCIL, CF Lyngdoh told reporters that if allowed, mining of uranium in the Domiasiat area of the West Khasi Hills would actually lead to economic progress of the people of the State at large.

Brushing aside apprehensions of hazardous radiation, Lyngdoh said, if required, people living...

SHILLONG, April 30— The Government of Meghalaya has ordered immediate closure of at least eleven saw mills in the state which were found to be working in gross violation of the Supreme Court order banning timber movement. The apex court, on January 15, 1998 had issued an order banning timber movement based on public interest litigation (PIL) lodged in 1995 seeking the court’s intervention to check depletion of forest cover in the country in general and the north eastern region in particular.

Sources in the Forest Department said that on inquiry that the eleven saw mills, located in parts of...

GUWAHATI, April 30 —Faced with near starvation, dispirited bands of militants belonging to both the ULFA and the NDFB are terrorising even the lower middle class people all over the State for money. The latest incident in Karbi Anglong, where two railway employees were shot dead by NDFB militants, is an indication of that, security officials say.

According to security sources, bands of militants are moving around the State without any support from their respective organisations. Evading the security dragnet and without any cash, they are now forced to target even the people belonging to lower...

Dimapur, April 30: The election scene in Arunachal Pradesh turned murkier with the militant National Liberation Front of Arunachal backing the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU)’s call for a boycott of the Lok Sabha poll to protest the inclusion of Chakma and Hajong refugees in the electoral rolls.

In a statement today, the militant group’s chairman, K.H. Tara, appealed to the people of the state to support the AAPSU. “Time has come to teach the Indian government a lesson,” he said.

The group’s show of solidarity with the student organisation is perceived to be a move to garner...

NEW DELHI, April 30– India has asked for details of the recent arms seizure in Chittagong even as Bangladesh reiterated its claim about presence of wanted terrorists and criminals in the country. The five-day Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) talks that started on an uneasy note yesterday saw both sides engage in claims and counter claims. While the BSF delegation denied the contention of its counterpart, Dhaka appeared reluctant to share details of the arms seizure estimated at about Rs 1,000 crore maintaining that investigations were still on, sources said.

The five...