NAHARLAGUN, March 4 – Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi presented a tax-free budget with a total outlay of Rs 1476.03 crore for year 2003 –2004 in the State Assembly here on Monday. “I am happy to announce that I have no new taxes imposed in this year”, Mithi who also holds the portfolio of finance said, while presenting the budget.

However, he said stringent measures imposed in the previous Budget on OTA, honorarium, traveling expenses, office expenses and maintenance of vehicles and ban on LTC for four years would continue till the next financial year”. “The non-Plan revised...

KOHIMA, March 4 — Former Nagaland Chief Minister Hokishe Sema was on Monday unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature party, which made its maiden entry in state politics by clinching seven seats in the just-concluded election, party sources said.

At a meeting held at Dimapur, BJP legislators unanimously elected Sema as legislature party leader, in presence of BJP vice-president Pyarelal Khandelwal and party in-charge of north-east V Satish and state BJP leaders.

The party legislators would proceed to Kohima to attend the combined meeting of constituents of Democratic Alliance of...

KOHIMA, March 3 — The Nagaland People, Front (NPF) hs expresed its gratitude to the people of Nagaland for giving their mandate to “many veteran, senior and able lenders of the Democratic Frotn of Nagaland (DAN) and its partners.” K Therie, the spokesman fo the NPF said here on Sudnay tht with the supprot of the NDA government at the Centre, they woud try to implement the common minimum programme.

“The main objective of working with the NDA Government at the Centre is to secure a final and permanent settlement to the long standing Naga political problem and people mandate was towards this...

NEW DELHI, March 3 : The Assam Government has undertaken 51 flood control and anti-erosion schemes for river Brahmaputra during the eight years (1995-2003). The projects are in addition to two major Central sector projects taken up by Brahmaputra Board, Union Minister of State for Water Resource Bijoya Chakravarty disclosed in a written reply in Lok Sabha. The Central sector projects included the Pagladiya Dam Project estimated to cost over Rs 542 crore and the avulsion of Brahmaputra at Dholla Hatighuli, which is a measure for diversion of river to its original course with ancillary anti...

GUWAHATI, March 3— The State Government has submitted a proposal to the Centre for creation of two India Reserve Police Battalions with surrendered militants, but the response of the Centre is awaited. This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Home Rockeybul Hussain in reply to a question by Sri Zoii Nath Sarma in the State Assembly today.

The Minister said that so far 8,798 militants including 7,618 belonging to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and 317 belonging to the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) surrendered in the State. He said that the Central...