Microwave link
India and Bangladesh have agreed to establish a microwave link between Agartala and Brahaman Bari and to convert the existing analogue link to digital optical fibre cable link via Rangoon. The decisions were taken at a meeting between Minister for Communications Ram Vilas Paswan and Bangladesh Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Mohammad Nasim recently.

SDF to field 30 candidates in Manipur polls
The Secular Democratic Front (SDF) has decided to field thirty consensus candidates in the forthcoming State Assembly elections. The decision was taken during a meeting of the SDF held at Hotel Pinto, Imphal recently. The constituent parties of the SDF are Manipur People’s Party (MPP), Congress(I), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Janata Dal (S). The Congress (I) is the latest entrant to the SDF. Talking to the mediapersons just after the meeting, the newly appointed convenor of the SDF Ksh Brajamani Singh said that the decision arrived at the sub-committee meeting will come up for discussion before a meeting of a larger body of the SDF.

16 Arunachal MLAs to be provided with PSOs
Sixteen Arunachal Pradesh’s members of Legislative Assembly who were yet to get their personal security officers (PSOs) will be provided with PSOs soon due to the increasing security threat, said a senior official of Arunachal Pradesh Government. He said shortage of manpower in the State police department has made it extremely difficult to cope with the situation, adding that the 25 police stations and 74 police outposts throughout Arunachal Pradesh have not been provided with adequate strength. It may be mentioned that in the State security review committee meeting held on October 22 last, fortynine persons of Arunachal Pradesh including ministers, MLAs, senior police and district officials were provided with security due to the threat perception because of various anti-social elements.

Manipur ultras attack Mizoram police outpost
Two persons, including a police constable were injured when suspected Manipur insurgents belonging to People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) attacked a Mizoram police outpost at Vatin, a hamlet on the border between the two states, a senior police official said. The rebels and the police exchanged fire for about 20 minutes during which one constable sustained injuries on his arm, Hmingdailova Khiangtn, commandant of the first battalion Mizo Armed Police said. The rebels were pushed back to the Manipur side and one of the ultras was reported to be seriously injured in the encounter, he said.

Marwah’s call to build a new Manipur
Manipur Government Ved Prakash Marwah and Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh called upon the people to help usher in peace for building a ‘new Manipur’ in this millennium. In separate messages on the occasion of New Year’s day, Marwah and Nipamacha Singh said time had come to sink all differences and work for peace and prosperity. The Governor also asked the people, particularly armed youth to eschew violence and seek to get their genuine grievances redressed through peaceful means. He expressed hope that the new millennium would usher in an era of peace, bonhomie and harmony in our lives. The Chief Minister said the year 1999 had seen people passing through many hurdles and wished the new year to be a year of peace and prosperity. "Let us put our heads and hearts together to build a Manipur to step in the horizon of new millennium," Nipamacha Singh said.

Call for common platform of Nagas
The Naga National Party (NNP) has appealed to all the Naga underground factions to come to a common platform to solve their problems. In a statement, NNP president N. G. Hungyo said it was the right time for the factions to fall in line with the wishes and desires of the people. He also clarified that the Nagas want unification of all Naga underground factions. The NNP president also said all the cadres should regret the misdeeds committed in the past. They should follow the spirit of forgiveness and communicate their decision through media or other means and entrust the Naga Hoho to contact the concerned groups for the final unification with a hope to work positively in the new millennium.

Move to regulate PDS in Tawang
In an effort to systematise and properly regulate the public distribution system (PDS), the Tawang district administration launched a massive drive to eliminate bogus ration cards and to issue new ration cards based on findings of surveyors requisitioned from various departments. This drive will include all jurisdictions of fair price shops and the villages included in it. Deputy Commissioner K. R. Meena, while giving training to supervisers and surveyors, stressed the need to go for a fair and widest possible coverage so that essential commodities under PDS reaches to all categories of the people in the district.

Mamata lauded
The Assam Pradesh Trinamool Congress thanked Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for taking prompt action in restoring the regular service of Avodh Assam Express, Kanchan Jangha and Saraighat Express trains. The running of the trains had been suspended for a long time following deterioration in law and order situation.

2 crews of hijacked plane hailed from Tripura
Two of the 14 crew members of the hijacked Indian Airlines airbus hail from Tripura. Tapa Debnath and Kalpana Majumder, both air hostesses of the airbus, studied at the Central School and the Women’s College in Agartala. One of the brothers of Tapa work in the Tripura Gramin Bank and her other family members stay at Birati in Calcutta while one of the sisters of Kalpana work in UBI branch in South Tripura’s Udaipur. Her other family members stay in Hyderabad.

Mizoram House adjourned
The one-day session of the Mizoram Assembly was adjourned sine die by Speaker R. Lalawia after unanimously ratifying 84th constitutional amendment Bill for extending the reservation for SC, ST and Anglo-Indians for another 10 years.

Taxis looted
About 15 people, including some girls, looted two taxis below Chedema village, about 14 km from Kohima recently. Officials said, the miscreants stopped two Sumo taxis on way to Kohima and relieved the occupants of all their cash amounting to Rs. 15,750. When they started looting the second taxi they saw a truck of the security forces coming towards them and fled towards the jungle after looting Rs. 2,950 from the passengers. President of Sema Students Union Kahoto V Chishi has strongly condemned the incident.

BJP members issued show cause notices
Harry H Vanchhawng, president of the BJP's Mizoram unit has issued show-cause notices to 10 leaders and workers of the state unit for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.The leaders included general secretary Lalzarliana and former general secretary C. Lalthiang Hlima, according to a party release. They have been asked why they should not be suspended from the party. The release said their replies would be forwarded to the party's national headquarters.

Heroin seized
Mizoram excise officials seized 191 grams of heroin from Champhai bordering Myanmar, about 200 kilometres from Aizawl, state excise commissioner R. Lalzauva said. Mr. Lalzauva said the contraband, worth Rs 19.1 lakh in the international market, was seized from one Lalparliani of Tuingo village in Myanmar who was arrested under the Narcotic Druds and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Ganja seized
In a major haul the Mokokchung police seized 589 kg of ganja from a concealed chamber of a truck and arrested two persons. Police said that the truck was coming from Manipur’s Bishenpur district via Chizami-Meluri-Kiphire-Tuensang and Mokokchung and was heading for Assam. The truck has been seized and both the driver and handyman were arrested. They also named the owner of the truck and the ganja. Police investigations were on, sources added.

Bodies recovered
Five unidentified bodies were recovered from Dichang Kinar Bengali village of Namrup recently, informed police sources. Two of the bodies bore gunshot injuries while the other three bore stab injuries. Police suspect the bodies to be of criminals involved in illegal trading killed by the ULFA but denied outright any involvement of surrendered ULFA men in the episode.

Two ULFA men shot dead
Two ULFA activists were shot dead by the police at the Disangkinar Ghugulonigaon under Tingkhong police station recenty. The names of the two rebels are yet to be ascertained, but one is said to be a Daimary and the other, a Baruah. The police have recovered an AK-56 assault rifle, 76 rounds of ammunition, Rs 9,200 in cash and some incriminating documents from the possession of the slain militants.

Tea estate manager held for poaching
The Namdapha Tiger Project authorities arrested the manager of Desam Tea Estate of Naharkatia, Bhupinder Singh Dhillon on charges of poaching, and seized a pistol, ammunition and an Ambassador car (AXQ-2177) from him. According to information, Mr. Dhillon, accompanied by two personal security officers and an ASI of Miao police station entered the tiger project area on the evening of December 25 and fired at a herd of barking deer. Although they missed the targets, they were apprehended by persons belonging to non-government organisations, who were camping there for tiger census. Later, Mr. Dhillon was arrested by D. N. Singh, director of the Tiger Project, and his weapon and the car were seized under the provisions of the Forest Protection Act.

Include others in panel also: UMF
The United Minorities Front (UMF) has demanded that besides the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), other non-political organisation of the State should also be included in the tripartite committee formed by the Union Home Ministry to suggest measures for the economic development of the State. The UMF has also sent a fax message to the Union Home Minister in this regard. UMF general secretary Abdus Samad Ahmed said that the Front had been demanding creation of a separate ministry for the North-East at the Centre under a Cabinet Minister.