No dissidence in Meghalaya Cong, says Lapang 
Refusing to take cognizance of dissidence in the Congress, Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang has said elevating a minister or inducting someone into the cabinet was his ‘prerogative’.  “The decision to elevate or induct a Minister including from the Congress is entirely my prerogative,” Lapang said when his attention was drawn to reports of growing dissension in the party over induction of junior MLA Zenith Sangma into the cabinet and elevation of Deborah C Marak as Deputy Chief Minister.  He said none of his colleagues in the party had ever expressed resentment to him about his two recent moves. It was only the media which highlighted these issues. Lapang said he had taken the High Command into confidence, but was not bound to consult the Congress legislature party for every decision.  

Air chief averse to reservation in IAF
Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi does not favour the idea of having reservations in the Indian Air Force. With the controversy raging in various parts of the country over the reservation policy, the views of the Air chief on reservation in the IAF was sought. The Air chief stated, that he ‘does not’ favour reservation in the IAF. However, what the Air Chief does want is to have ‘equal representation’ of people from all corners of the country. Incidentally, the North-East is poorly represented in the IAF. To reverse this situation, the IAF conducted a special recruitment drive for the region last year. “The response to the recruitment drive was tremendous”, Tyagi informed.

Myanmarese drug addicts seek help for treatment
Myanmarese citizens residing along the Indo-Myanmar border areas and other Indian border States specially in Manipur have sought help for the treatment of drug addicts. “Not only our drug addict colleagues, those who are living in Burma(Myanmar) come to Moreh to seek assistance”, a Myanmarese citizen informed during an interaction session of the newly-floated Care Me Groups, a new Non-Governmental Organisation formed by the drug users living at Moreh. Care Me Groups has been set up with the stated objective of helping each other in giving up the drug habit and lead a normal life. Another woman member of the organization said that she has been getting help from the new generation and the recent press statement was due to some misunderstanding. Convenor of the Groups Siethang Mate informed that a memorandum has been submitted to the Medical Officer in-charge of Moreh Hospital on proper functioning of the De-Addiction Centre at Moreh.

Centre sanctions CIT at Kokrajhar
As a part of the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), the Union Cabinet sanctioned setting up of the Central Institute of Technology (CIT) at Kokrajhar. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, said that the CIT, which would be run by an  autonomous registered society under Bodoland Territorial Council, was part of the commitment made in the MoS signed by the Government of India on February 10, 2003. The institute will be funded by the CVentral Government

Japan to provide funds to Sikkim    
Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) officials were in Sikkim recently along with consultancy partner Tata consultancy services personnel to assess financing avenues in terms of infrastructural development projects in the State of Sikkim. State Tourism Minister RB Subba said that the Union Tourism Ministry has already sanctioned Rs.2 crores for the development of the Buddhist circuit in the State.

“Assam Rifles Bill will give more strength to force”
The new law to govern the functioning of the Assam Rifles will enhance the ability of the country’s oldest paramilitary force to guard the Indo-Myanmar border and to act against erring personnel, its Director General Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh has said. Expressing satisfaction at the passage of the Assam Rifles Bill 2006, Singh said the new legislation would also increase the “level of satisfaction” of jawans by facilitating “quick and impartial” justice. Singh elaborated how his force’s border guarding role would be strengthened, saying the current act of 1941 did not give the Assam Rifles some powers needed for effectively manning the frontier. “Although we are guarding the Indo-Myanmar border, certain privileges like searching or detaining an intruder are not there in the present act,” said Singh, who worked on drafting the new bill over the past two years. He said the salient features of the proposed legislation would be the constitution of the Assam Rifles as an “armed force of the Union” and provisions for setting up separate courts.

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