GUWAHATI, Feb 8 ? The Planning Commission is likely to provide funds for the feasibility study for construction of a second bridge over the river Brahmaputra near Guwahati. This was disclosed by the Prime Minister?s office in a fax message to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. In the message, Jarnail Singh, joint secretary to the Prime Minister, informed Gogoi that the issue was discussed in the meeting of the empowered committee on non-lapsable Central pool of resources held in the third week of January, Smt Reva Nayyar, Advisor, North east, of the Planning Commission, suggested that the Commission...

GOLAGHAT, Feb 8 ? The NRL is facing crisis for crude oil in Numaligarh Refinery Limited in the near future and the production will also be stopped, informed newsmen in a press meet held at NRL conference hall by Apurba Sharma, GM (Production). Sharma said that though the NRL has a strength of refining three million tonnes of crude oil last year, the NRL had refined only 2.3 million tonnes of crude oil instead of the capacity and only 1.8 million tonne of crude oil this year. Due to the scarcity of crude oil, the DCU unit has been stopped for more than one month. It becomes more expensive to...

In the diffused light of the candle-lit room, the tears in the eyes of 17-year-old Inavi Yeptho glisten like dewdrops in sunshine. The young but battle-hardened NSCN (K) activist weeps in solitude whenever he remembers his younger sister. She was a toddler when he left home two years ago and he has not seen her since.

The likes of Inavi, who have made the jungle their home and war their mission, have had to pay a big price for the sake of the cause they profess to uphold ? long periods of separation from their near and dear ones. Some like Pangmei, barely out of his twenties, have tragic...

Guwahati, Feb. 7: A weakened middle order, coupled with the absence of ?hit men? in the Ulfa is posing serious problems in the outfit?s bid to regroup, intelligence sources said.

?As things stand now, the only way the Ulfa can make its presence felt is through hands-on involvement of its top leadership in the movement,? a highly- placed source said.

The Ulfa?s top leadership is known to have undergone rigorous arms training on foreign soil. But they ended up playing the role of backroom boys, based in foreign countries, ever since the outfit was able to raise ?commanders? who could carry out...

Guwahati, Feb. 7: The Assam government has finally agreed to the creation of forest development agencies (FDA) in every forest division of the state. This is expected to increase people?s participation in the conservation and protection of the state?s forest resources and to improve their livelihood. State forest minister Pradyut Bordoloi said here today that the creation of FDAs would also help the forest department to get funds directly from organisations without having to go through the normal channels. The department often gets funds after a long delay as the money has to come through the...