NEW DELHI, Feb 3 ? The Union Government is shortly notifying bamboo as an agriculture product plaing it under the ambit of the Union Agriculture Ministry, even as a special Mission is being launched to tackle the situation arising out of bamboo flowering by Government of India. The Mission for which the Agriculture Ministry would be the nodal agency would involve at least seven-eight Central Ministries besides North Eastern State Governments, revealed Dr V.S.Oberoi Advisor TIFAC Department of Science and Technology.

At stake is 26 million tonne of bamboo, covering an area of 18,000 square km...

GUWAHATI, Feb 4 ? Contrary to the ruling BJP?s ?India shining? slogan, the North Eastern region is left with no other option but to dim with the Central Government resorting to drastic cut of annual plan outlay of North Eastern Council (NEC) for the fiscal 2003-04 and 2004-05. With the annual plan of the NEC getting pruned all the NEC funded 10 th Plan period projects in the region will be severely affected.

Sensing the trouble ahead, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar have dashed protest letters to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee urging him to use...

Dibrugarh, Feb. 4: Assam?s beleaguered tea industry today suggested a two-pronged strategy, based on research and development, to bail out the sick sector. Speaking at its annual general meeting here today, outgoing chairman of the Bharatiya Chah Parishad Krishna Kanta Saharia sought the revival of the Tea Research Association, saying the tea industry in the past had almost ignored research and development.

?During the year that has just gone by, helopeltis (a disease of tea leaves) played havoc in the tea plantations of Upper Assam causing extensive damage and resulting in average yield in...

Guwahati, Feb. 4: Three chief ministers have sought an emergent meeting of the North Eastern Council (NEC) to discuss the adverse fallout of the finance ministry?s decision to prune the council?s budgetary allocation for 2003-04 by nearly Rs 420 crore.

The three chief ministers ? Tarun Gogoi of Assam, Manik Sarkar of Tripura and Zoramthanga of Mizoram ? have also dashed off letters to the Prime Minister for restoration of the outlay of Rs 750 crore, which was originally recommended by the planning commission.

Assam minister of state for planning and development Himanta Biswa Sarma today said...

Jorhat, Feb. 4: Assam minister for employment and craftsmanship Rupam Kurmi passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, early this morning. She was 55.

Kurmi, who was admitted to the AIIMS on November 24, died of multiple ailments. She hails from Cinnamara here and had been representing the Mariani constituency in the district since 1991. She was elected to the Assembly for three consecutive terms and was the first woman cabinet minister from the tea community.

Kurmi leaves behind two sons. Her funeral will be held tomorrow in her ancestral home at...