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SHILLONG, May 15 – The Centre will ensure setting up of at least one major food processing industry in every state of the North Eastern Region, Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries (MFPI) N T Shanmugan has announced. Addressing a business meet on food processing industries in North Eastern Region at Hotel Polo Towers here today, the Union Minister informed that his ministry has sanctioned five ‘Food Parks’ in the region in the states of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

The Ministry has formulated a number of plan schemes to promote food processing in the country and...

GUWAHATI, May 14 — Accusing the Congress, the Left and ‘people with vested interests like Madani’ of being ‘busy’ playing the communal card over the issue of repeal of the IMDT Act, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said that it is against the communalising of this issue.

BJP’s organisation in-charge for the North East states V Satish, in a statement today took strong exception to the statement reportedly made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi terming the decision of the Union Cabinet to repeal the Act as a political gimmick. He said that the Chief Minister should have thought twice before...

SHILLONG, May 13—The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has embarked upon an ambitious plan for harnessing over 25,000 MW of hydroelectric power by setting up a number of projects in the North Eastern region by the end of the 12th Plane. NHPC chairman-cum-Managing Director Yogendra Prasad announced at a Press conference at Itanagar recently,” This will effectively make the region the powerhouse of the country and also speed up development by providing abundant and cheap power,” he said.

The region has a major share of hydro power potential to the extent of 63,257 MW out of the...

AIZAWL, May 13 — Vipin Haokip, self-styled chief of the Kuki National Army (KNA), the armed wing of Kuki National Organisation (KNO), today said his outfit was willing to negotiate with the Centre on its demand for a separate state for the Kukis, reports PTI. The negotiations should lead to an amicable settlement by establishment of tripartite arrangement to accommodate Meiteis, Nagas and Kukis, Haokip told PTI.

Silchar, May 12: The conflict between the Hmar and Dimasa tribes appears to have reached flashpoint with the killing of two prominent members of either community on the same day.

Narmendu Langthasa, the fourth son of veterinary minister G.C. Langthasa, was evidently shot dead to avenge the killing of a Hmar leader about an hour earlier. The killings followed the pattern of the ethnic clashes since February — instant reprisal for each attack.

The biggest of these incidents was the massacre of 22 Dimasa tribesmen by Hmar militants in Cachar district on March 31.

Though the atmosphere remained...