Guwahati, April 14: The US-based Kuki International Forum has charged the Assam government with being “biased” in its handling of the ongoing Hmar-Dimasa conflict in Cachar and North Cachar Hills districts.

In an open letter to chief minister Tarun Gogoi, the forum claimed the state administration had been partial towards the Dimasas since the clashes in south Assam began. “The biased nature of the state government has been in evidence since the beginning of the conflict,” it said.

The Kuki community, which inhabits several areas of the two districts, had been perceived to be neutral on the...

Jorhat, April 13: Eight years after it was raised, the Assam Tea Plantation Security Force (ATPSF) is struggling to combat the might of militant outfits without the high-tech communication tools considered necessary for such a battle.

The force, raised in 1995 exclusively for the protection of tea garden executives, has been deployed in about 100 tea estates of Upper Assam, Darrang, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur and Silchar. It has 115 platoons, comprising about 3,000 personnel.

An ATPSF platoon commander who wished not to be named told The Telegraph that members of the force, especially those stationed...

SILCHAR, April 12—Union Minister of State for Home ID Swami today blamed the ISI behind the ethnic clashes in the North East and said that exemplary punishment would be meted out to the culprits even as tension continued to mount in the Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar district. Talking to mediapersons at Pailapool after touring the three refugee camps of Lakhipur, Hmar Khawlin and Ganganagar under Lakhipur subdivision, Swami assured the people that security will be provided to them. He also stated that the Centre has sanctioned rehabilitation package of Rs 10 crore to the victims of ethnic...

GUWAHATI, April 12 — Raising concern over low rate of loan recovery from the new generation entrepreneurs in the region, the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation, has made a call to the entrepreneurs to honour their commitment to repay loan instalments in time.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday evening the NEDFi CMD, JP Saikia underlined the need for inculcating a sense of professionalism in the first generation entrepreneurs of the region while revealing the Corporation’s plan to train 200 new entrepreneurs in the current year...

AIZAWL, April 12—Mizoram Minister of State for Finance Lalchamliana inaugurated the first automated teller machine (ATM) at the Aizawl branch of the State Bank of India here on Saturday.

In his inaugural speech, Lalchamliana said that introduction of ATM at the State Bank here was an important step in the banking service in the state and congratulated the officials of the bank on their achievement.

The State Bank of India first opened its branch in Mizoram in 1971 and the Aizawl branch was fully computerised in March last year. Bank officials said that more ATMs would be installed at the...