Aizawl, Feb. 10: The Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) today justified its attack on the Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou) office here yesterday by accusing the university?s director, S. K. Ghosh, of communal bias.

An MZP release said an employee of the institution needs to work without break for 200 days at the same post to be regularised. But Ghosh, it alleged, had transferred Mizo workers in 70 to 80 days, resulting in no permanent Mizo employee at the Ignou.

The MZP also accused the Ignou regional director of siphoning funds meant for bonus of the staff and deducting employees? salary...

GOALPARA, Feb 10 ? Congress has once again occupied the seat of power in Goalpara Municipal Board. Although the denizens of Goalpara contemplated this immediately after the declaration of results of the civic polls, skepticism prevails whether the new board can or have the mindset to carry out its obligations in the interest of the voters faithfully.

In the last civic polls, out of the 19 wards, Congress candidates came out victorious in seven wards, AGP in five wards, NCP in three wards and BJP in one ward while the remaining three seats went in favour of independent candidates. However...

GUWAHATI, Feb 10 ? In view of the Union Finance Ministry announcing a subsidy upto Rs 8 per kg to small tea growers from February for four months, the Tea Board of India is trying to prepare a comprehensive data on the volume of green leaf grown by small growers.

The Tea Board while drawing up the scheme for payment of the subsidy announced for registered small growers having holding upto 10-12 hectares has asked all tea producers? associations to collect information through their member gardens on green leaf purchase made by them during 2003 in order to prepare comprehensive data on green...

Shillong, Feb. 9: The chief ministers of the Northeast are gearing up for a heated session with Union minister C.P. Thakur following Delhi?s decision to downsize the North Eastern Council (NEC) budget.

Union minister of commerce and industry S.B. Mukherjee and Thakur, who is in charge of the department for development of north eastern region (Doner), are likely to attend the two-day special economic zone seminar here from February 17.

The Union finance ministry?s decision to trim the NEC budget for 2003-2004 by nearly Rs 420 crore has raised voices of protests from almost all chief ministers...

Aizawl, Feb. 9: The number of potential BSNL cellphone users declined drastically today, just two days after the mobile service provider opened its door to the public. When the BSNL started giving out application forms for mobile phone connections here on Saturday, the rush was so great that people were queuing up outside its office, even blocking traffic.

Today, however, was a completely different story, as the expected rush did not come when the doors were opened. A trickle of people coming in for the forms was the only sign that the BSNL was about to launch cellular services in the state.

A...