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ITANAGAR, March 26 ? The residents of a village, located about 14 km from insurgencey-affected Changlang district headquarters, fled in panic recently after a fierce battle broke out between two factions of the NSCN, reports PTI. Top police officials told PTI here that the village, Sachin, located atop a hill, turned into a battlefield as rival followers of the Issac Muivah and Khaplang factions of the NSCN fought a bloody battle for close to four hours in the wee hours of Monday with AK-47 and 56 rifles, 7.62 SLR, America-made M-21 and hand grenades. A team of senior police officials...

AIZAWL, March 26 ? Former Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla was re-elected unopposed as president of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Wednesday, reports PTI. Returning officer for the MPCC organisational polls, H Raltawna, announced that Lal Thanhawla, was re-elected as there were no other contestants for the party?s top post. Former Agriculture Minister Saikapthianga and former Finance Minister and veteran Congressman John Lalsangzuala were also re-elected unopposed as vice-president and treasurer respectively. Elections to the MPCC executive members and Aizawl District Congress...

NAHARLAGUN, March 26 ? The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly adopted The Arunachal Pradesh Commission for Women Bill 2002 on Thursday, facilitating the empowerment of women and for their allround development. ?The basic purpose of the Bill is to provide for the constitution of women?s Commission in the state of Arunachal Pradesh to improve the status of women and to enquire into unfair practices affecting women and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto,? Tadak Dolum, Minister incharge for Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, said. ?This Bill of it becomes an Act...

SHILLONG, March 26 ? Meghalaya Finance Minister AH Scott Lyngdoh today presented a Rs 79.45 crore surplus budget which included additional resources of Rs 10 crore expected to be garnered through hikes in taxes on timber and ?teer?. Laying the budget estimates for the year 2002-2003, Scott Lyngdoh said the estimates envisaged an opening balance of Rs 35.57 crore and a total receipt including receipts under public accounts of Rs 16,353.46. This is against a corresponding expenditure of Rs 16,309.58 crore, resulting in an estimated closing balance of Rs 79.45 crore, he explained.

The additional...

DIBRUGARH, March 26 ? The nursing profession in Assam has very little to cheer about these days. For months on end, nurses in the three medical colleges of Assam have not been receiving their pay. Though nurses at the Gauhati Medical College and the Silchar Medical College are a little better off, those here told reporters recently that the modern day Florence Nightingales here have been made to feel that their services are of no consequence to the medical profession in general. The AMC unit of All Assam Nurses? Association staged a ceasework agitation for 72 hours from March 18. This was...