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NEW DELHI, March 19 — Nagaland Government has taken serious note of the complacent manner of Assam Government in issuing documents to illegal migrants. Assam has become a breeding ground for illegal migrants, who after procuring necessary documents move to the hills of Nagaland, charged Chief Minister of the State, Neiphiu Rio.

The cause of alarm for the State is that it has recorded the highest decadal population growth rate in the country at 67 per cent. The minister said that though the hill sector in his State has no problem, the Dimapur valley has been affected. It may be recalled here...

Dimapur, March 19: Dogged by disagreements over plum portfolios, the multi-party Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, headed by chief minister Neiphiu Rio, will find itself on shaky ground if it does not quickly fulfil the promises it had made to the people.

During election campaign, both the Nagaland People’s Front and the BJP projected the coalition as pro-Naga peace talks, which could deliver the Naga people “from the yoke of the anti-Naga Congress, led by S.C. Jamir”.

Now that the coalition is in power, the heat is on DAN to display some visible signs of progress on two crucial fronts — the...

March 19: Despite the NSCN (I-M)’s oft-expressed reservations about talking to a bureaucrat, former Union home secretary K. Padmanabhaiah will once again lead the Delhi team in the next round of peace talks, slated for the first week of next month.

Home ministry officials indicated that two rounds of talks would be held with NSCN (I-M) leaders Isak Chisi Swu and Th. Muivah. While one round of discussions will be held in Amsterdam, the other will probably take place in another European capital.

The officials said the NSCN (I-M) leadership had “accepted” Padmanabhaiah as the chief interlocutor...

Guwahati, March 17: The Gauhati High Court has passed a significant order declaring the checkgates at Khanapara, Khanamukh and Saraighat in the city illegal and held that the Assam government does not have any power to frame legislation for imposing a toll on vehicles plying on the national highway. The judgment was delivered today by Justice I.A. Ansari of the high court in response to a writ petition filed by Mohammed Zakir Hussain.

The court also held that the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has acted beyond its competence in enacting the 1997 bylaws and applying them to the vehicles...

NEW DELHI, March 17 — In keeping with the promise made in the Railway Budget, the Railway Minister today allocated Rs 60 crore for Bogibeel Bridge out of Rs 150 crore sanctioned for the four rail bridges out of National Rail Vikas Yojana (NRVJ). The proposal to fund the four mega rail bridge projects was made by Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar, in the Railway Budget. The Government had decided to source funds for NRVY from a mix of budgetary and non-budgetary sources.

The allocation of Rs 150 crore for the 2003-2004 financial year was made today by the Railway Ministry under NRVY. Out of the...