News

GUWAHATI, March 26 ? Welfare of Plains Tribes & Backward Classes (WPT& BC) Minister Bharat Narah today ruled out possibility of bringing all the tribal councils in the State under the purview of the Sixth Schedule in the line of the proposed Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). In reply to a question of Congress MLA Rajib Lochan Pegu, the Minister informed the House that the villages to be included in Mising Autonomous Council (MAC) were yet to be identified. He said that the government will start discussing the issue of identifying Mising villages to be included in the autonomous council. In...

AIZAWL, March 27 ? Mizoram assembly Tuesday passed five amendment bills reducing the salaries and allowances of the ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, deputy chief whip, opposition leader and members of the assembly, reports PTI. The bills were introduced and moved by F Malsawma, minister for Parliamentary Affairs and were passed by the legislature. The former Chief Minister Brig T Sailo and Col Lalchungnunga Sailo were not present during the voting. The two Sailos were present in the House as the amendment bill envisaged that a former legislator have to chose a single pension benefit even if...

Imphal, March 26: An all political party meeting held today has discussed the situation arising out of the abduction of Chandel DC Y Thamkishwor and agreed to appeal to the NSCN (IM) to release the officer unharmed at the earliest. Chief Minister O Ibobi told reporters later at the Chief Minister's Secretariat conference hall that as reports from the NSCN monitoring cell in Dimapur had indicated their (NSCN) disinclination to hold talks with the State Government, negotiations for the release of^ the DC is going on at the Home Minister's level. He said till date there has been no direct...

Imphal, March 26: The United Naga Council, in a press statement today called upon the government of India and the NSCN(IM) to thrash out their differences without further delay to facilitate the safe release of Y Thamkishore Singh, DC Chandel, on humanitarian grounds. The statement signed by the UNC president, KS Paul Leo, also appreciated the selfless efforts of various social organizations based in Chandel in particular and others, for securing the release of the captive government official. The release further expressed serious concern "with the incident of March 16, 2002 at Pallel Bazar...

SHILLONG, March 25 ? Four years since the Anti-smoking Act banning smoking in public places in Meghalaya was enacted, the rules are yet to be framed! Making the admission in the State Assembly recently, Deputy Chief Minister DD Lapang, assured the House that the Government would frame the rules at the earliest and strictly enforce the Act. Earlier, replying to a starred question, the Transport Minister said the department have been issuing instructions, from tie to time, reminding the public that smoking in public transportation is banned by law. ?But the Government is dependant on the public...