Tripura to host Bangla trade fair
A trade fair of Bangladesh will be held in Agartala in July-August to promote trade and set up industry in Tripura. State Information Minister Jitendra Chowdhury informed that a six-member Bangladeshi delegation, led by industrialist Md. Jakaria Pintu held a meeting with Industry Minister Pabitra Kar. Mr. Chowdhury said the delegation, comprising industrialists and sportspersons, expressed willingness to set up various industries. The State Government assured the delegation all help. The meeting also decided to hold international level soccer meets and exchange of sports teams, Mr. Chowdhury said adding that a renowned sports club of Bangladesh would play a friendly match here during the opening of Badharghat Stadium in September.

58 AIDS cases recorded in Nagaland
Nagaland has so far recorded 58 cases of AIDS, out of which 15 people have died from the dreaded disease, a senior doctor of Naga Hospital here said. As per latest statistics available with Nagaland AIDS Control Society, the State has recorded 39 per cent cases of HIV positive among the HIV drug users in 1994, but it came down to seven per cent, claimed Dr Kumeni of Naga Hospital, Kohima. Dr Kumeni pointed out massive awareness campaign against AIDS has brought down the incidence of HIV positive among the drug abusers in the State. Dr. Kumeni further disclosed that as per the latest figure, out of over 17,000 blood samples screened, 709 cases were found to be HIV affected and insisted on bridging the discrepancies between detoxication cases and rehabilitation centres in the State.

Voter ID cards
Tripura Government would issue identity cards to all voters soon, State Election department sources said. Of the total 18.36 lakh voters, 6.6 lakh had not yet been given the cards, the sources said. The State Election department would start necessary measures soon to provide identity cards to the remaining voters from July, they added.

Sikkim Budget presented
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling presented a Rs. 19.40 crore deficit Budget for 2000-2001. Mr Chamling, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said the Government could not present the Budget in March owing to pending consideration of the demands for grants for 2000-2001 and had to present a vote-on-accounts up to June 30.

Marak elected Speaker
E.D. Marak of the ruling coalition in Meghalaya was elected Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly in a secret ballot. Marak secured 42 votes in the 60-member House while the United Meghalaya Opposition Forum candidate, Pynchai Manik Syiem got 17. One voter remained absent. The election was necessitated by the resignation of E.K. Mawlong after he took the Chief Minister’s office on March 8.

Chamling backs quota restoration
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has come out in favour of the demand for the restoration of reserved seats in the assembly for ethnic Nepalese. Mr Chamling said. "We have constituted an advisory committee comprising ministers and legal experts and asked the main opposition Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP), led by former Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari, to nominate its two representatives to the committee". The 13-member committee would be headed by state Health Minister D. D. Bhutia.

Foreign tourists can visit Nagaland
In a move aimed at promoting tourism in the North-East region, the government has decided to allow foreign tourists to visit certain places in Nagaland with immediate effect. Foreign tourists would he allowed to visit certain places at Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchong and Wakha districts, an official press note said. They could visit these places for a maximum 10 days and in a group of four or more persons.

ULFA leader held
A central committee member of the ULFA and incharge of the political wing of the outfit in Upper Assam, Brojen Tamuly alias Biswas Bora (41), was arrested by the Teok police from his Boloma residence.

Manipur prohibits strikes under ESMA
Manipur Government has prohibited strike under Essential Service Maintenance Act for a period of six months. Chief secretary Rakesh said that strikes would be prohibited in the services falling under the ESMA. The services include transport, production, storage, supply or distribution of gas or water, maintenance of public health and sanitation including hospitals, dispensaries, primary health centres and power supply.

2 killed, 5 hurt in landslide
A mother and her minor son were buried alive while another five children injured when their house was swept away in a landslide triggered by incessant rains, at Mawblei village, 10 km from Shillong, official sources said. The landslide completely swept away the house when the mother along with her six children were sleeping. The mother identified as Aidaline and her eight-year-old son Shainborlang were buried alive by a big swamp of mud while the other five children, two sons and three daughters, were critically injured, the sources said. The deceased were retrieved from the debris and sent to Shillong civil hospital for postmortem. The injured were also admitted in the same hospital, the sources said.

Move to boost handloom industry in Nagaland
Nagaland Government would make it mandatory for departments in the State to procure local handloom products for office use, Industries and Commerce Minister I. Imkong announced. Inaugurating the State-level conference of weavers cooperative societies, the minister said necessary steps would soon be taken so that government offices buy items manufactured by local weavers only. Imkong also announced that from this year onwards, State and district-level handloom fairs would be organised annually where the best design and quality would be rewarded.

Tripura govt files defamation case against MLA
Tripura Government has filed a defamation case against Congress MLA and former minister Billal Mian for making "unfounded and defamatory" statement in a public rally against Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. On June 4, Mian alleged that Chief Minister indulged in financial irregularities and bought flats in Salt Lake City in Calcutta with the misappropriated money. Mian also said that he had all the evidence to substantiate the allegations. Sarkar reacted vehemently and challenged Mian to prove his allegations within 48 hours. Sarkar in a statement said if the allegations were proved, he would not only resign from Chief Ministership also retire from politics forever.

Mian did neither reply nor apologise.
Special Public Prosecutor of the case Dilip Sarkar said the Section 199 CrPC/500 IPC envisage two years’ imprisonment and fine if the accused is found guilty.

Centre to help Assam govt to liquidate overdraft problems
Centre has aagreed to help Government of Assam to liquidate the overdraft problem. Union Finance Minister Jashwant Sinha, gave this assurance to Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in a meeting held in New Delhi recently. Chief Minister Prafulla Mahanta apprised the Union Finance Minister about the difficulties faced by the State in carrying out development activities and also in tackling the insurgency problem because of suspension of treasury transaction by middle of every month due to overdraft. The Finance Minister assured that a permanent solution would be found by fifteenth of next month after receipt of the report of Eleventh Finance Commission.

Eight militants held in Manipur
At least eight activists of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M) were apprehended by police while one businessman was rescued from the kidnappers. Official sources said that NSCN (I-M) activists kidnapped one businessman from Nagamapal area in Manipur’s Imphal West district. While the kidnappers were hiding at New Chekon area in Imphal East district, police rescued the businessman and arrested two NSCN (I-M) activists identified as Masoyang Haorei (28) and Madaleang Ningshun (32).

9 ultras surrender
Nine militants, seven belonging to the ULFA and two to the NDFB surrendered before the Sonitpur district administration, official sources said. The militants surrendered before senior police, Army and civil officials in the Biswanath Chariali area of the district. The militants, however, surrendered no arms, the sources added.

TPCC member joins Trinamool Cong
Tripura PCC member Narayan Das joined Trinamool Congress (TC), TC convenor Ratan Chakraborty said. Das in his resignation letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi said he had decided to join TC as the State Congress leaders had deviated from the party’s principle and ideology. He alleged that when the people of Tripura are faced with massacres by insurgents almost everyday, the TPCC remained a silent spectator and did nothing to build up any opinion against the ultras. Chakraborty welcomed Das to the party fold, saying his joining would strengthen it.

CBI asked to submit report on Parag Das probe
The Gauhati High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a status report on the investigation into the killing of Parag Kumar Das. A division bench of the High Court comprising Justice N. C. Jain and Justice D. Biswas, after preliminary hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), fixed July 26 as the next date for hearing of the case. Parag Kumar Das was killed in the Rajgarh area of the city on May 17, 1996 and the State Government handed over the case to the Central Investigation Agency in 1997. Concerned over the delay in the investigation, Dr. Hiren Gohain, Mahendra Barthakur, Jahnu Barauh and Dilip Chandan today filed a PIL in the High Court.

CD on Rava
The New Art Players, a leading cultural organisation of the State will make a Compact Disc (CD) and cassette on the life of Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rava in the form of a musical feature depicting his manifold creations. The musical feature will be directed by Niren Barua while its music will be scored by Ramen Barua.