GUWAHATI, Dec 17 ? The ruling Congress today claimed to have inched closer to form the council in Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) with support from two of the three newly-elected Independent councillors. Minister of State for Planning and Development Himanta Bishwa Sharma today presented two Independent councillors Asadullah Seikh and Brojen Das before media persons at his official chamber in Janata Bhawan here this afternoon. Both the councillors stated that they had decided to support Congress in the GMC.

On the basis of the support extended by these two Independent councillors, the...

GUWAHATI, Dec 17 ? The National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) today requested the Royal Government of Bhutan to stop the offensive against it as it may create enmity between Bodo and Bhutanese people. In a press statement, Major B Susranggra, Chief of Staff of Bodoland Army of the NDFB said the Royal Government must never think of the Bodos as the enemy of Bhutan. The Bodos shall always uphold the age-old friendly relations with the Bhutanese, he said, adding, the NDFB, ULFA and KLO cadres have no ill-motives against the sovereignty of Bhutan. Major Susranggra said the last round of...

AGARTALA, Dec 17 ? The Tripura government is ready to set up the first medical college in the State in a joint venture and Chief Minister Manik Sarkar hoped Wednesday that the approval for it will be given soon by the Union Health ministry, reports PTI.

The medical college would be set up at the BR Ambedkar Hospital here in a joint venture with the Manipal group, Sarkar said after his return from New Delhi Tuesday.

Sarkar, who met the Union Health Minister Sushma Swaraj and Planing Commission deputy chairman KC Pant during his stay at the national capital, said he was assured of an early...

Kohima, Dec. 16: The Nagaland government today introduced a resolution in the Assembly on integration of Naga areas contiguous to the state. The timing of the resolution is significant. The resolution, tabled by chief minister Neiphiu Rio, iterated ?its earlier stand and urged the Centre to bring together the Naga people living in the state of Nagaland and the contiguous areas by integrating them under one administrative unit?.

Three resolutions were pas-sed by the Assembly earlier, too, on December 12, 1964, August 28, 1970 and September 16, 1994.

Though the adoption of this resolution may...

Kokrajhar, Dec. 16: The National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) chief is under constant pressure from the members of the outfit to announce a ceasefire and sit down for talks with the Centre. Disclosing this, surrendered NDFB militant B. Maofung, alias Manaranjan Basumatary, said the rebels had repeatedly appealed to NDFB chairman Ranjan Daimary to begin talks with the Union government since 2001.

Basumatary, who held the rank of second lieutenant before his surrender, was among the 21 NDFB cadre who laid down arms before the Kokrajhar district administration on November 28.

The group...