NEW DELHI, Feb 25 – In a move that is bound to have a deep impact on the infiltration prone States like Assam, the Central Government proposes to create separate list of doubtful citizens before issuing multi-purpose national identity cards (MPNIC) in a bid to checkmate the illegal immigrants. The move divulged by Deputy Prime Minister, LK Advani in the Lok Sabha this morning, apparently taken out of the Election Commission of India’s book is likely to stir a hornet’s nest given the revulsion to creation of Doubtful List or ‘D’ List as it’s popularly known. In Assam, over 2.65 lakh names...

DIBRUGARH, Feb 25 — Minister of State for Forests, Pradyut Bordoloi came in for praise from the main protagonist of the proposed Joydehing wildlife sanctuary, Nature’s Beckon. The minister told The Assam Tribune last Thursday that his department is actively working on notifying the proposed sanctuary, “though the name may not be Joydehing.”

Reacting to the minister’s views, Nature’s Beckon’s director Soumyadeep Datta said, “the matter should not hover around the name, all we want is permanent protection of the virgin rainforest and its rich wildlife by declaring it a sanctuary.” He, however...

HAFLONG, Feb 25 — “Kaun rahega yaha saab ? Ye jungli the jungli hi rahega. Kya ceasefire saab? Woh log to abhibhi paise mang rahe hain. Jeena mushkil ho gaya yahan”, Shushil (not real name), a retired NF Railway staff, said in his sharp voice. What this aggrieved ex-railwayman said can be construed as the reaction of the common man in NC Hills area to the ceasefire declared by the militant Dima Halong Daogah (DHD).

“I have worked here for 40 years since the day I joined NF Railway. Still I am not willing to stay here. I will go back to my ancestral village in northern India so that I can...

NEW DELHI, Feb 25 — The seven North-eastern States which account for about seven per cent of country’s geographical area contribute accounts for 25.78 per cent of the country’s forest cover. The scenario based on the Forest Survey Report of 1999 may look good on paper but is a far cry from the target of 33 per cent set by the National Forest Policy of 1998 with a deadline of 2012.

Union Environment and Forest Minister, T R Baalu himself was rather sceptical about achieving the targets given the paucity of funds faced by his ministry, even as he pleaded with members in the Lok Sabha Monday...

Guwahati, Feb. 25: The mortar attack on the Indian Air Force base in Borjhar here on Sunday has sparked off a blame game between New Delhi and Dispur which has all but pushed the security threat into the background. A day after defence minister George Fernandes and the Eastern Air Command blamed Dispur for the attack, the latter returned the fire with equal gusto by holding the air force responsible for the security breach.

Besides seeking a detailed report on the incident from the Eastern Air Command, Fernandes said in Shillong yesterday that if needed, he would seek an explanation from the...