Itanagar, Jan. 18: The power department has submitted a Rs 171-crore project to the Centre for the augmentation of the state?s power system and reduction in transmission cost. Arunachal power minister Lijum Royna said the project has already been sent to New Delhi for approval.

A 132 kV-project for Rs 53.17 crore, to take power from Ziro to Along via Daporijo, was targeted for completion by December this year. Royna said Rs 13 crore remained to be received from the department of development of northeastern region (Doner), which was financing the project.

Another project, financed by Doner, the...

Silchar, Jan. 17: The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) last night set free the three hostages they had abducted from Cachar district last week. Police sources said the captives were released at noon from a hilltop hideout of the NCSN (K) in Jiribam subdivision of Manipur.

They took an autorickshaw and reached the subdivisional headquarters town of Jiribam on the Manipur-Assam border in the evening. Cachar police escorted them to their houses.

Though police could not confirm if any ransom was paid, sources said the relatives of each of the three hostages had paid Rs 50,000 for...

Jan. 16: A student organisation today took up cudgels on behalf of the Kuki tribesman who stands accused of masterminding the murder of Lunglina Elizabeth, saying he has been framed to malign the image of the community. The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) captured James Kuki, alias Letsail Haokip, in Dimapur on Tuesday, but has refused to hand him over to Manipur police.

Portraying James as a victim of circumstances, the Kuki Students Organisation (KSO) said he deserved a ?fair trial? instead of the agony of staying in militant custody.

?We have a strong feeling that the...

Khonsa (Tirap), Jan. 16: The winds of change are blowing across Arunachal Pradesh?s opium bowl. Vast stretches of undulating terrain that once used to be dotted with poppy plantations are on the way to becoming horticulture gardens.

The transition is expected to be a life-changing one for residents of the far-flung villages of Tirap and Changlang districts, where addiction to opium has been rampant for ages.

Tirap deputy commissioner J.P. Choudhury said floriculture and ?high-return? crops like vanilla and patchouli would be promoted in the twin districts as part of a Rs 25-crore project.

The...

Kohima, Jan. 16: The much-hyped mobile phone services in Nagaland is facing hiccups. To add to the woes, the state?s entire telecommunication sector has gone awry. While many of the cellular phone subscribers complain that their handsets do not work in the evening, the state of landline telephones is worse.

Capital Kohima has become used to landline telephone failures at least twice a week through the last month. The readymade answer for such failures is a ?snag in the microwave tower?.

On Wednesday, telephone lines suddenly went off and calls were not possible between Dimapur and Kohima...