UPORKHUTI, Feb 17 ? Several villages viz Betagaon, Jabarangpara, Suwagpur, Kauli, Bholajhar, Bongalipara, Upor-khuti, Bogamati etc mainly located in the foothills of the Bhutan border falling under the jurisdiction of Nalbari and Kamrup districts, 25 km away from Goreswar have remain underdeveloped since indepen-dence. Numerous problems plague the area inhabited by people of various communities like SCs, STs, OBC, Adivasis, Bengalis, Nepalis and others.

On many occasions, applications and memorandums have been submitted to the concerned authorities and the local MLAs of Tamulpur and Rangia...

GUWAHATI, Feb 17 ? With general elections round the corner, the almost three million strong Koch Rajbongshi community in the State have decided to intensify their battle for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Sanmilani (AAKRS), spearheading the agitation, today also asserted the demand to carve a ?State within a State? for the community in Assam.

Addressing a press conference here this afternoon, AAKRS general secretary Durlav Chamua said that the Koch Rajbongshi community in the State have been demanding ST status since 1967. However, the formal inclusion in the ST...

Feb. 17: The Naga National Council (NNC) today called off its reconciliation meeting, scheduled to be held in Wokha tomorrow, and accused both the Neiphiu Rio government and the NSCN (I-M) of sabotaging its peace efforts.

A day before the NNC was to hold the reconciliation meeting in Wokha, the state government imposed Section 144 CrPC in the town. An irate V. Nagi, general secretary of the NNC, came down heavily on the state government and the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN, adding that his outfit?s role in reconciliation was now over. ?We may take up arms now,? he warned.

The NNC also...

New Delhi, Feb. 17: The Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) has been asked to prepare the masterplan for the development of tourism and infrastructure in the Northeast.

The masterplan, which would be prepared under the aegis of the department of development of northeastern region (Doner), comes in the wake of the recommendation by a couple of task forces on tourism and infrastructure formed in September last year.

Sources said the master plan would go into all the details of the guidelines forwarded by the task forces. ?This would start with the funds needed for the...

Shillong, Feb. 17: The highlight of the 56th regional livestock and poultry show, being held at the Polo Grounds here, is the immense potential of the Northeast to attain self-sufficiency in this field.

The exhibition, which was inaugurated by Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang, generated considerable interest among officers of the animal husbandry and veterinary department.

Livestock and poultry will be exhibited till Saturday to create awareness about the importance of rearing animals and poultry, especially in the rural belt.

Releasing a souvenir, Lapang said such shows will give the...