News

NEW DELHI, June 19 ? The hunt is on for a new Governor for Assam, as the NDA Government is undecided over sanctioning Assam Governor, Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha an extension for the second term and may instead appoint a BJP man to the top post. While the possibility of the former Vice Chief of Army Staff of being re-nominated is not being ruled out for now, stiff opposition from State BJP unit, which apparently wants him replaced, may mar his chances. The State BJP unit, according to sources in the party, has had on the eve of the AGP-BJP alliance even petitioned Union Home Minister, L K Advani...

GUWAHATI, June 19 ? Altogether eight persons including four ULFA militants and two Armymen were killed in three separate incidents of violence in the state during the last 24 hours. According to Our Staff Correspondent in Dibrugarh, two ULFA militants and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army were killed in a fierce encounter at Bombay Line of Achabam Tea Estate near Namrup in the district last night. One of the killed militants was identified as Prafulla Bora of Joypur near Naharkatiya while the other was identified as Dhruba Kumar Roy alias Apurba Medhi from Bongaigaon. The slain...

AIZAWL, June 19 ? Mizoram Cabinet has decided that Gorkha permanent residents who applied for registration under Mizoram Sales Tax Act should be registered, reports PTI. At a Cabinet meeting here Tuesday held under the chairmanship of State Chief Minister Zoramthanga, it was agreed that those permanent resident Gorkhas who applied for registration under MST should be cleared so that they would pay sales taxes on taxable items, officials sources said. Altogether 4,453 Gorkhas, living in the State before January 26, 1950, have already been accepted by the State government as permanent residents...

DIMAPUR, June 19 ? The National Socialist Council of Nagaland headed by SS Khaplang while accusing the rival faction headed by Isak-Muivah for harassing and killing of its cadres has also warned that unless such crimes are stopped by them, it will not ?cow down? but pay back equally. In a communiqu? issued by its publicity wing, the NSCN regretted that even after offering ceasefire since 1997 in response to the longing demands of the Nagas for ?peace and unity, ? it said that ?these offers were repeatedly meted out with bloody response either against the innocent Nagas or upon the NSCN (K)...

GUWAHATI, June 19 ? The young artistes from United Artist, Tezpur, have once again done their country proud by winning accolades with their stellar performance at the 18th International Amateur Theatre Festival held at Denizli, Turkey from May 20 to 25. The play they staged there was School Bag, written and directed by Aiswaryya Kakoty, the founder director of the group. Critics and viewers alive were unstinting in showering praise on the six young performers ? Priyam Sarma, Rukmini Kakoty, Rashmi Rekha Baruah, Barnali Saikia, Snehangsu Kakoti and Ratul Deka ? for their matured and natural...