AIZAWL, March 31— On the seventh sitting of the Mizoram Assembly recently, Health Minister F. Malsawma told the House that the central government had some reservations against the proposed Referral Hospital as a result of which the centre had asked the state government to start the hospital with 50 beds.

Answering a question by ruling MLA, Dr. Lalzama, the Minister said the Department of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) had advised the state government to implement a 50 bedded interim hospital at the State Referral Hospital and that about 57.07% of the construction had been...

SHILLONG, March 31— Meghalaya government has decided to declare Sunday as dry day from April, when sale of foreign liquors and country spirits would be banned and bonded warehouses would be closed.

However, keeping an eye on tourists, bars would be kept out of the purview of the order, state Excise Minister P T Sawkmie told a press conference here.

He said the timing of sale of foreign liquor and country spirit in different outlets in East Khasi and Jaintia Hills districts have also been changed while that in other districts would remain unchanged. A law to prevent minors from drinking...

JAKHAMA (Nagaland), March 31 — After the introduction of “Nagaland Environment Protection and Economic Development through People’s Action (NEPED)” in 1995, the forest coverage in Nagaland has increased remarkably. NEPED is an agroforestry project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Indo-Canada Environment Facility (ICEF). It can be mentioned here that the agroforestry system is an alternative to jhum cultivation.

The benefits of agroforestry are to increase the land productivity, including biomass and food, increasing the arable land, promoting farmers...

AGARTALA, March 31— Banned militant organisation NLFT is facing serious crisis following a fierce clash between two groups in Bangladesh camp. A surrendered militant Sunday divulged that at least 13 armed rebels had already left the camp and entered Amarendranagar area in South Tripura in an attempt to surrender before the security forces.

Malendra Reang, a hardcore NLFT militant who fled from Bangladesh camp separately with two more armed cadres, arrived at a Tripura State Rifles camp in Takarjala area in West District Saturday night. Acting on his tip-off the TSR personnel recovered on SLR...

AGARTALA, March 30—Darkness looms large over the state following NEEPCO’s decision to ‘regulate’ power supply to the electricity department from April 3 next. The ‘Regulation of power supply’ in straight words means ‘stoppage or at least drastic reduction of power supply’.

The NEEPCO decision came as the state’s power department failed to pay up the huge debt of Rs 90 crore to the corporation, despite several reminders. If NEEPCO curtails supply, then there will be a sharp deficit of about 45 to 50 mw during the peak hour and the power department will have no other option but to resort to...