GUWAHATI, Feb 22 – An amount of Rs 32 crore is due as penalty from defaulting establishments in the North-east to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) during 2002-03, while the corresponding figure for the entire country is Rs 600 crore. Revealing this, the North-east Regional PF Commissioner (FAEP) Pankaj today said the process of recovering the penalty was under way.

The EPFO in the North-east covers 3,863 establishments catering to 2,22,000 subscribers up to March 31, 2002. Of them, 646 establishments are defaulters while 2,800 have been irregular in contributing their...

SIVASAGAR, Feb 22 – Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) engaged in excavating the maidams of the Ahom kings at Charaideo, finally broke open the main entrance to the brick built dome underneath the 6.2-metre deep earth cover of the biggest of the 20 maidams, believed to be that of Ahom King Shiva Singha (AD 1714-1744). On clearing the stones of the 1.9 metre-wide passage below the 50-cm thick brick arch, ASI workers led by superintending archaeologist ASI, Syed Jamal Hussain and assistant archaeologist BK Sinha, have so far unearthed two pieces of human bones, some fine-clay potteries and one...

GUWAHATI, Feb 22 – At a time when rapidly shrinking forest cover is exposing the State’s biodiversity to the gravest possible danger, a move to construct a PWD road through Amchang reserve forest in the outskirts of the city has evoked vehement opposition from the Forest Department and environmentalists who fear it will create serious disturbance to the fragile eco-system of the area. The PWD (Road) Guwahati Division, NEC, on February 10 sought permission from the Forest Department to conduct a survey from Panjabari-Batahghuli to the NH-37 via Patarkuchi.

The proposed survey runs through the...

KOHIMA, Feb 22 — For the first time in Nagaland, women employees would be deployed as presiding and polling officers for the February 26 Assembly election, reports PTI.

Chief Electoral Officer Lalthara hoped that deployment of women officials for poll duty would check the practice of proxy voting in the state as they have been found more serious in their workplaces than their male counterpart in Nagaland. They would work in polling stations of urban areas like Kohima and Dimapur.

Although Naga women take leading role in both domestic chores and socio-cultural activities in the society, only...

Dimapur, Feb. 22: Barely a week before the elections to the 10th Nagaland Assembly, the Congress is under intense pressure, especially in Dimapur district, from the Opposition that is hell-bent on denying another cakewalk to chief minister S.C. Jamir.

To counter the Opposition’s forages into the district, the Congress staged a protest rally against the alleged threats to its candidates and abduction of party workers and supporters by underground elements.

In a memorandum to Dimapur deputy commissioner Sanjay Kumar, the party openly alleged that “the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) is misleading the...