Imphal, Jan. 23: The Jiribam jail does not have a single prisoner and the court building is under lock and key for the past several years. It would appear that Manipur?s outback is the most peaceful place on earth.

The truth is shocking: the entire Jiribam subdivision, bordering Assam?s Cachar district, has been left to fend for itself as armed militants have a free run in the wild west of the state.

The court of magistrates, civil judge (junior) division, established in 1996, was abandoned a couple of years back. In the absence of a functioning court, the Jiribam sub-jail is naturally...

Tiloijan (Moran), Jan. 23: Hundreds of birds are dying at the Tilojan Tea Estate near here under ?mysterious circumstances?, bringing an ambitious avian conservation project of the Assam government under a cloud.

The exact cause of the death of the winged species ? which began four days ago ? will be known only after the forest department receives the reports on the post-mortem conducted on a few carcasses recovered from the garden. Environmentalists say that one of the possible causes of the deaths could be an ?overdose of pesticides? by the garden authorities. But the picture will become...

Guwahati, Jan. 23: The Union tourism ministry has identified four places in Assam and Meghalaya to set up tourism and cultural hubs which will project the cultural heritage of the area and link it up with places of tourism interest.

These four places are Kamakhya, Majuli Islands, Tawang and Shillong. The ministry has identified 36 hubs throughout the country to harmonise elements of tourism and culture.

The places will be equipped with documentation centres, handicraft emporiums and similar facilities with improved infrastructure.

Officials said the hubs would help promote unique cultural...

Silchar, Jan. 23: The projected cost of converting the 204-km metre gauge rail track between this town and Lumding station into the broad gauge, estimated at Rs 608 crore the project was launched in 1996, has escalated to Rs 1,400 crore.

Expressing concern over the escalation, a senior official of the North East Frontier Railway (construction) ascribed the hike to the ?niggardly flow of funds? from the railway ministry.

He said rain and occasional attacks by militants had slowed down the project and had resulted in cost escalation.

The official, however, hoped that the construction would...

Shillong, Jan. 23: Meghalaya chief minister F.A. Khonglam?s boat appears to be sinking, as cracks in the 13-month-old People?s Forum of Meghalaya (PFM) coalition have finally began to show.

With polls drawing closer, major allies in the ruling coalition are engaged in a fair amount of mud-slinging, indicating that power was what had kept them bound. With the polls knocking, the parties are going their separate ways, caring little for the coalition?s unity.

Meghalaya power minister Martle Mukhim today slammed the Congress and the NCP for making ?others the scapegoat of their actions?.

Mukhim...