Mahanta's appeal to Bangla scribes
Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said extremists of the North-East were active only because they received patronage and shelter from a section of people with vested interests in Bangladesh.

Mr. Mahanta urged a delegation of Bangladeshi journalists, who called on him, to create public opinion against the extremists and ensure that militants were not provided shelter in the country.
He also pointed out that measures had been initiated to stop influx of immigrants, movement of insurgents and anti-socials, to erect barbed wire fencing and stop illegal trade along the Indo-Bangladesh border.The Assam Chief Minister hoped that both Bangladesh and Assam would jointly promote border trade in the region.

T. Sailo is adviser to Mizoram Govt.
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga recently informed the State Assembly that former chief minister of the State Brig. T. Sailo has been appointed as principal adviser to the State Government in the rank of a cabinet minister. Replying to a query from Opposition leader Zakhu Hlychho, Zoramthanga said Sailo would not receive salaries and perks separately as he was enjoying the same as member of the Legislature.
Brig. Sailo would, however, be given facilities like vehicles and others as enjoyed by a cabinet minister, the Chief Minister said.The Chief Minister had earlier informed the State Assembly that he had appointed two advisers —Rochhuahthanga and Atthanga — who were placed in the rank of Minister of State.Excluding Brig. Sailo and two advisers, the present ministry comprises 11 cabinet ministers and four minister of state.

Rs. 5 crore earmarked for Bogibeel bridge
A sum of Rs. five crore has been earmarked for construction of the proposed rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra at Bogibeel in upper Assam during the 1999-2000 financial year, an official report said.

MiG-21 crashes near Chabua
A MiG-21 aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed at Marali Rathar near Chauba recently.
According to reports, pilot Squadron Leader Tribedi and assistant pilot Babu Bissal escaped unhurt by jumping out with to parachutes.There was, however, no damage as a result of the crash.

Rs. 20 crore central grant to NEDFi
The Union Government has released a one-time grant of Rs. 20 crore to the Guwahati-based North-Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi) through the North Eastern Council (NEC) for undertaking techno-economic studies for industries, Union Industry Minister Sikandar Bakht said.

Explosives recovered
The Nagaland police have recovered huge quantity of explosives from a private bus at Phesema check gate and arrested one person in this connection.
The police said the private night super bus was coming from Imphal, when it was checked at Phesema. The police recovered 375 gelatine sticks, 800 donators and 800 metres of fuse wires.

Flood control measures
Till the end of the eighth Plan, an area of 1.63 million hectares in the Brahmaputra valley had been given reasonable protection against floods through construction of
4,450 km of embankment, 683 anti-erosion units, 85 major sluices and 85 km of drainage channels.
This has been stated by Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources Sompal. He further stated that flood control measures have been implemented in the North Eastern states specially to reduce the impact of floods.

Two Govt. engineers released by NLFT ultras
Two government engineers were among the hostages released by the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT).Sahadeb Das, executive engineer of Rural Development department, and Samarendra Pal Roy, assistant engineer of Minor Irrigation department, returned home unharmed.
They were abducted from Killa area in South district on February 15 last.

Kanu Nag, the driver of the official vehicle, was also freed.The militants had reportedly demanded hefty ransom for their release.A brick field manager, Nripendra Das, and an employee, Shyamal Chakraborty, also returned safely after 21 days of captivity of the same outfit in Udaipur sub-division of South District.

Load shedding to continue in Tripura
Load shedding in Tripura would continue as the State was passing through shortage of power and financially not in a position to purchase from North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), according to State Power Minister Badal Chowdhury.
The State was running short of about 40 MW daily against its peak demand of 130 MW.

35 hurt in bus mishap
At least 35 people were injured, some of them seriously, when an Agartala-bound passenger bus, in which they were travelling, overturned and fell into a gorge at Kanchanbari in North Tripura.
The police said that the injured were admitted to various hospitals. The bus was owned by Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC), a public sector undertaking of the Tripura Government.

Tea planter dead
A leading tea planter of Assam, Ram Gopal Lohia, breathed his last at his residence at Tinsukia.
He was 72. He is survived by his wife and four sons.
A social worker and philanthropist of outstanding repute, he was associated with a host of institutions and associations, apart from being one of the founders of the Bharatiya Cha Parishad.
His death had cast a pall of gloom in the commercial town of Tinsukia.

Tirap, Changlang distts. demand UT status
The people of Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh have submitted a memorandum to the President through the district authorities, demanding a Union territory status for these two districts.
In a release, chairman of the Union Territory Demand Committee Somlang Tangdong said the people of both the districts have already started a mass movement in support of their demands. A large public rally was held at Khonsa, the headquarters of Tirap district recently, which was attended by all the villages of Khonsa Sadar circle.

227 houses gutted at Jakpa
The fire in the Jakpa village under Mokokchung district has destroyed almost the whole of the village gutting 227 of the total 248 houses. The fire, which broke out at around 1100 hours is suspected to have been sparked off by the burning jungles for jhum cultivation. However, no casualty was reported. Additional deputy commissioner of Mokokchung rushed to the village to look after the relief and rehabilitation.

Loans from HUDCO
Continuing its effort of all round urban development of the North-Eastern region, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Urban Affairs, has sanctioned a loan amounting to Rs. 97.23 crore. The loan was sanctioned for 13 projects including conventional housing schemes and urban infrastructure.

Apart from sanctioning nearly Rs. 100 crore to Tripura, the HUDCO came to the help of the Manipur Government during the National Games with a loan assistance of Rs. 5.59 crore for the construction of 116 residential units. Similarly a loan of Rs. 4.61 crore for the construction of 181 residential units for the staff housing scheme of the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam has been sanctioned. In addition, HUDCO has co-sponsored a seminar on the theme.
NENA

Tripura Health deptt. bifurcated
The Tripura Government has decided to bifurcate the health department by creating another directorate of preventive medicine and family welfare for better service facilities. This information was given by State Health Minister Keshab Mazumdar. To reduce rush of patients to the district headquarters from remote and distant districts to the capital for better treatment, the State Government is taking steps to provide super specialists at the four district headquarter hospitals, the Minister said.
Super specialists would be posted in three important departments like paediatrics, medicines and gynaeocology, Mr. Mazumdar said while inaugurating the State level conference of the Obstetric and Gynaeocological Society.
NENA

BJP to monitor Central schemes in NE
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to monitor the progress of various Centrally-sponsored schemes in the North-East. This has been informed by P. B. Acharya, national secretary and organisational-in-charge of the North-East border area states of the BJP. Mr. Acharya said that the decision to monitor the projects was taken at the core committee of the BJP leaders of the North-East. He asserted that the step was necessary in view of the alleged rampant corruption in connection with the Centrally-sponsored projects.
NENA

Gauhati HC to set up Itanagar bench
The Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court is likely to be set up soon for which modalities are being worked out. Arunachal Pradesh Administrative Reforms Minister Takam Sanjoy said that the Gauhati High Court Chief Justice has agreed to spare one judge for its Itanagar bench. Mr. Sanjoy met the Chief Justice at Guwahati recently and discussed with him the setting up of the Itanagar bench, among other things.
Meanwhile, the construction work of the High Court building and judges quarters is in progress. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi recently visited the construction site and gave the construction agency some directions.
NENA

Heroin seized at Aizawl
At least 160 grams of heroin were seized by the officials of the Mizoram excise department.
The drug was seized from Chandmari locality and one person was arrested in this connection.
About one kilogram of heroin was seized by the State excise officials since January. About 120 people died in the State due to drug abuse in the same period.

SP escapes unhurt in ambush
The superintendent of police, South Tripura, escaped unhurt when militants of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura ambushed his vehicle about 130 kms from Agartala.
The NLFT militants fired at the convoy of the SP while he was going to Khayphung from Juraibari.
No one was injured in the attack.

500 people join Arunachal Congress (M)
D. K. Thongok, former vice president of zila parishad, West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh along with 500 party workers joined the Arunachal Congress (M) at a meeting in Rupa during the recent visit of Chief Minister Mukut Mithi.
Admitting Mr. Thongok and his followers to the party, the Chief Minister said that his Government was duty bound to help all irrespective of various party and political barrriers for the development of the State.

Tripura lawyers court arrest
Altogether 165 lawyers were arrested in front of the Governor's house in Tripura when they forcefully tried to enter and present a memorandum to Governor Sidheswar Prasad demanding the dismissal of the ruling Left Front government in the State.
They also shouted slogans demanding Presidential rule in the State.