SHILLONG, May 4 — Mortality rate of children below the age of five years in Meghalaya has been put at a startling 122, much above of the national figure of 94.9, during 1994-98 when the second National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2) was conducted throughout the country, reports PTI. Meghalaya was placed only second to undivided Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for 122.5 deaths to children below the age of five per 1000 births. The mortality rate of the same age group of children in Meghalaya during 1988-92, when the first such survey was undertaken, was put at 86.9.

The data of the survey, which...

PATACHARKUCHI, May 2 – The once famous aged-old pottery industry craft of greater Bajali area is presently on the verge of extinction as the same is now struggling for existence at the sole efforts of some skilled craftsman.

Used by the mankind since ancient times, earthenware still play a unasideable role in the day-to-day life. Without the use of earthenware life becomes nearly impossible even though alternatives of earthenware are being produced with the development of science and technology. At a time when plasticware is available and is durable compared to earthenware, the earthen...

GUWAHATI, May 3 — Concerned State police officials at the ground level are yet to be given special instruction as a sequel to the agreements of Assam and Meghalaya governments to go for joint police operation against extremists active along the inter-State boundary. Police sources informed that although chief ministers of both the States recently announced the decision to go for joint anti-insurgency operations along the Assam-Meghalaya boundary areas, particularly in highly-infested boundary between Goalpara district in Assam and Garo Hills in Meghalaya, State police authority was yet to...

KOLKATA, May 3 — Two ultras of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland, arrested from a city hotel, were being interrogated by the police to ascertain if militant outfits were being funded by major tea companies in West Bengal, reports PTI.

City police detective department’s Deputy Commissioner Soumen Mitra said today that the militant organisation was suspected to be extorting money from tea companies, and the police interrogation was proceeding to ascertain facts.

“Our interrogation is proceeding in that direction, since we suspect their role as extortionists,” Mitra said, refusing to...

KOKRAJHAR, May 1 – The Chirang-Ripu reserve forest has been declared as an elephant reserve under the guidelines of the Centre’s “Project Elephant”. The reserve convers an area of 2600 sq km comprising six districts of Kokjrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalibari, Kamrup and Darrang with seven forest divisions.

Meanwhile, senior forest officials said the Chirang-Ripu reserve has a minimum of 650 elephants and the number of pachyderms had registered a rise in the Haltugaon, Kachugaon and Aie valley wildlife division after the elephant census conducted in 2002. The officials were hopeful that...