Election to the Speaker's post on March 18 will make clear the actual strength of Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) and NCP-led Meghalaya People's Alliance (MPA) in the 60-member House.

While MPA has already announced the name of Bindo M Lanong as its candidate for the post of Speaker, MUA is likely to recommend former Tourism Minister and Congress legislator Charles Pyngrope as its contender for the post.

According to Congress sources, final decision on this matter will be taken by the CLP on Saturday.

Since MPA currently has 31 legislators on its side against MUA's 28, Mr Lanong fares a better chance to win the election.

Meanwhile, Congress is learnt have made all-out effort to lure KHNAM, HSPDP and Independents from MPA fold in order to increase its tally to 31, the minimum requirement to form the government.

Even as MUA authorized Chief Minister DD Lapang to negotiate with other legislators, there was discontentment among Congress rank and file over the "slow progress in this direction".

Some Congressmen also expressed dissatisfaction over "involvement of certain unauthorized persons in the negotiation process".

The mood in the Congress camp is lackluster with most of the legislators and party workers in doubt whether the party will able to win the tug of war on March 19.

Many of them feel roping in legislators from MPA camp is "a difficult task" which will result in MUA losing the trial of strength.

According to party sources, the decision to allot the Power portfolio again to Mukul Sangma has caused further setback to MUA since the "non-Congress legislators are opposed to the controversial power deal" struck by Mr Sangma during his last tenure in the government as Power Minister.

However, optimistic say there will be "cross voting" by MPA legislators, "who are against the nomination of Thomas A Sangma as Rajya Sabha candidate", giving MUA a chance to survive the floor test.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Mr Dorphang said, "Candidates, who had the potential to bring positive change to their respective constituencies and the State as well, got our support."

He pointed out that even his own brother-in-law PW Muktieh, former Mawhati legislator and former Deputy Speaker, did not get his support.

The surrendered HNLC men lent their support to UDP nominee Donbok Khymdiet as "Mr Muktieh had terribly failed in serving the people of his constituency during his two terms."

Mr Dorphang said being a fresh entrant in the State politics, Mr Khymdeit would be able to make a difference.

"In case of Mawlai, where Process T Sawkmie was my close friend, we rendered our support to Congress nominee Founder Strong Cajee as Mr Sawkmie has failed to fulfill his promises in the last five years", Mr Dorphang said, adding, "We are confident that Mr Cajee will bring a sea change to the constituency."

Earlier, Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) had nominated Thomas A Sangma, nephew of State's first Chief Minister Williamson A Sangma, as its contender for the post.

"Mr Marak's name has been cleared by the party high command," MPCC president OL Nongtdu told The Shillong Times here on Thursday.

Besides Mr Marak, names of two women functionaries - Selma Shira and Wansuk Syiem - were forwarded by the State Congress to the AICC.

Meanwhile, AICC has cleared three other names from the North-East for elections to the Rajya Sabha.

Former chief ministers -- Mukut Mithi (Arunachal Pradesh) and Rishang Keishing (Manipur) -- and Bhubaneshwar Kalita from Assam were selected by the party high command along with eight other names on Thursday.

Out of the 11 candidates, four union ministers -- Murli Deora and Prithviraj Chavan (both from Maharashtra), T Subbirami Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) and GK Vasan (Tamil Nadu) - and AICC treasurer Motilal Vora (Chhattisgarh) have been re-nominated by the party for the Rajya Sabha election. It is still unclear whether Union Minister S Pachouri, who has recently been appointed Madhya Pradesh PCC chief, would be renominated for the fifth time from the state where the party does not have enough numbers to elect a single member. (With inputs from PTI)

"BDR has given us a list of 21 rebel camps of groups like 'Swadhin Bangabhumi' and 'Bangladesh Liberation Organization' besides names of some nine militant leaders and 1,591 Bangladeshi miscreants, who they claimed, are hiding in India," BSF Inspector General PK Mishra said after the conclusion of a four-day biennial conference of the two frontier agencies here on Thursday.

However, Mr Mishra added that some of the locations of rebel camps listed by BDR are actually addresses of BSF posts.

"We have told BDR to verify the list. If there are any such camps, we will surely raid them. But their list is neither location-specific nor verified. How can they brand the BSF camps as insurgent camps?" Mr Mishra wondered.

Earlier, BSF handed over a list of 141 camps of Indian insurgent groups and names of 116 rebel leaders and their 198 sympathisers operating from Bangladesh.

The Indian frontier agency asked its Bangldesh counterpart to hand over the wanted Indian militants hiding in that country and to dismantle their camps.

Mr Mishra said, "BDR seemed to be out of words to respond to the inputs provided by us about existence of Indian militant camps in their country." The BSF also supported its claim with the confession of HNLC chairman Julius Dorphang about the presence of militant camps in Bangladesh.

BDR cannot deny the fact that it has been conducting raids on Indian insurgent groups from time to time which proves existence of the outfits in Bangladesh, the BSF IG pointed out.

"We have also provided them facts regarding trans-border crimes committed by Bangladeshi nationals in Indian territory and about seizure of forest products, narcotics and contrabands," he said.

SHILLONG: In a rare operation in a city nursing home, a ball pen was removed from the large intestine of an 11-year-old boy 11 days after it had been forced into him by some elder boys.

In what can be termed as a bizarre act of rigging for "not bringing marbles to play, some seniors of Iaiban Kyntiew Makroh, the class III student of Mynsew Lower Primary School in Ri-Bhoi district, forcibly pushed the ball pen into his anal passage." Since last 11 days, the boy of Mynsain, Bhoi Rymbong has been complaining of stomach pain before his parents rushed him to Dr S Ranee, a consultant surgeon of Woodland Hospital and Super Care Nursing Home here.

Dr Ranee, after conducting necessary investigations, carried out the operation at Super Care Nursing Home, Laitumkhrah on Tuesday and removed the ball pen.

Condition of the boys is now stable, said the doctor.

Meanwhile, the district Superintendent of Police has informed that in view of the Synod being held in different places, plying of coal trucks are barred in the high ways in East Khasi Hills on March 16 from 6 am to 6 pm to avoid any traffic congestion and inconvenience to the general public. Further, no entry is enforced in areas from Lawbah, Mawsynram, and Mawkyrwat for vehicles proceeding to Shillong through Weiloi and from Mawphlang to Mawkyrwat and Mawsynram via Mawphlang from 12 noon during the Synod at Lawbah.

The Congress desperation is showing! The 28-member Congress led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) has been sworn in, courtesy Mr SS Sidhu, former bureaucrat and Congress party loyalist. Between now and March 20 when the trial of strength happens some people will have had the taste of power and all its perks. But for Meghalaya's sake we hope that the dream is as elusive as a mirage.

For the 31-member Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) which has till date remained firm on its commitment to stick together, the tenacity is appreciable. It is easy to understand why the Congress is desperate to get back to power. Seldom if ever has the Congress sat in the opposition. Now they have an even greater reason to want to be in power. Remember the controversial power deals that were kept on hold because elections were announced and because the UDP, KHNAM, MDP and HSPDP protested? Well, if Dr Mukul Sangma had his way the deals would have been pushed through during his tenure as Power Minister. But having failed to do so, he will move mountains to see that they sail through this time. That is if the MUA survives.

If the MUA collapses for want of requisite numbers it would be a delight to watch the Governor swearing in a new government within a fortnight. The MUA would then have been sworn out. If that happens, Congressmen will be swearing at each other and at their leader Mr DD Lapang for failing to conjure up the magic figure. Indeed, if it was possible to get the magic figure by calling upon that great magician PC Sorkar, I am sure the duo of Mr DD Lapang and Mukul Sangma would have summoned him. That is the kind of desperation that the Congress is labouring with.

Now coming to the point of government formation, while we place all faith on the MPA allies and do not doubt their tenacity to hang on together till D-day, we must also appreciate that political wisdom dictates they are better off within the MPA than in the MUA. Ask me why? The MUA is a boat with many captains, all of them stalwarts in their own right. They would want to steer the ship in turns and to their favourite destinations. There are far too many doctorates of the spirit, mind and body on that ship. This creates a problem because the methods of diagnoses and treatment differ.

Mr DD Lapang as chief minister of the MUA will have a trying time because there are at least four people, with chief ministerial aspirations. Mr SC Marak is out of the race because he was defeated by the machinations of his own party men. That is the Congress party for you. Every Congressman worth his salt spent money not only for his own victory but also invested wisely to defeat potential rivals in the race to the chief minister's chair. We would be naïve to believe that Dr RC Laloo or Rowell Lyngdoh or Mukul Sangma would allow Mr Lapang to captain the ship for five years. Fortunately for Lapang, his co-conspirator Mr Friday Lyngdoh does not have the energy to mobilize support. Otherwise he too would be in the fray.

With so many senior Congressmen on board, how can smaller fries from smaller parties find breathing space, much less a berth?

Political calculations make the MPA a better, more stable combine that can accommodate all kinds of opportunistic elements. I am not using the word 'opportunistic' in a pejorative way. Politics is a game of opportunities. Those who play politics are by nature opportunists. Let's forget all the noble ideals of democracy that we discuss at seminar tables. Even those who talks of such ideals know they are making polite conversation. Political ideals are the stuff that the creaky old Indian democratic system used to be made of. They comprised the Tilaks, Sardar Patels and Nehrus of this world who are now turning in their graves at having left the future of this country to a set of highly educated, stylish pirates. Indeed the blasé manner in which their progeny are today emptying the treasury without blinking an eye-lid is truly amazing.

For the smaller parties, it makes more sense to be with the MPA because there are many more tenderfoots who would be amenable to the advice of their more experienced seniors. But more than all that is the rare opportunity to see the Congress squirm in discomfort in the opposition benches. I know for a fact that the people of Meghalaya, save a few die-hard Congress supporters, would want to have a change of guard. They are keen on seeing a new government led by a new formation. The Congress has become synonymous with corruption and the common man is sick and tired of the brazen attempts to use development funds for feathering personal nests.

Gandhi's dictum that there is enough in this world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed sounds clichéd. Gandhi did not contend with the politicians of this generation. If one politician can own 112 crores having made that money from political association and if she could get away unscathed, then surely greed is good. Greed will continue to be good as long as diversion of public monies into private pockets is a paying proposition and the person doing so goes unpunished. And politicians will continue to escape the dragnet because peoples and organisations are willing to allow that to happen.

In Nagaland, people came out to protest the Governor's dilly-dally over inviting the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) led by Neiphiu Rio to form a government. Finally the Governor had no option but to invite Rio. What did we in Meghalaya do? We murmured, we cursed and damned the Governor for daring to do a Manipur on us, but we refused to be counted. Forget about coming out into the streets to protest the brazen attack on democratic tenets! For what do you term a situation where a political group with visible minority is sworn in and another coalition with a majority is set aside! You call it an open invitation for horse trading. And by remaining silent we have colluded with this horse trading and encouraged despotism.

To may mind, Meghalaya will breed many more polite despots because our civil society allows them to thrive. The fear of being labeled 'political' sends civil society organizations running for cover. Yet each one of them has a political agenda. However, you can forgive civil society for being diffident but where are the thousands of political party workers who must have slogged to ensure the victory of their candidates? Where have they disappeared? Have we forgotten those days of the three flags when upstarts like HS Shylla and Rev Fr Sngi called post election rallies in the Malki ground? What has become of such vibrant political expressions? They are crucial for democracy to survive. Democracy, after all, is a noisy affair. But that noise must be audible at the right time and place. Perhaps that was the noise that the brash Alva missed during her short sojourn here. But if the pre-election scenario was quiet as the graves then what do you call the post election Meghalaya? Does it not look as ominous as doomsday? Only the Governor strides like the phantom carrying out his task to precision. May many more of his tribe be posted as governors in this disparate region. Perhaps he is the kind of Governor we deserve!

Things have moved rather fast since we discussed the prospects of an early Lok Sabha poll a fortnight back. The irony of the situation is that no party is really ready for nationwide polls. Yet every one knows the confrontation between the pro-deal lobby within the government and the UPA's supporting Left has reached the breaking point. We are all powerless. When prices rise, stocks nosedive, exports slow down, interest rates go up, all that the domestic institutions can do is to helplessly watch the merciless play of the global forces.

And for the first time, outside forces are trying to impose a general election on an unwilling political class. The UPA government presents the sad spectacle of being caught between the time-setting US visitors and our own poll-scary power peddlers. Just in the past ten days, we have had an army of senators and experts going round the capital's Bhawans and Blocs. Soon came under secretary Nikolas Burns. Then it was defence secretary Roberts Gates. State department's Tom Casey did it from Washington. At the time of writing, it is the turn of assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher. And envoy David Mulford is fully booked.

Threat to the survival of the Manmohan Singh government looks very real. The myth makers of the media and the naïve alone can cling to the fig leaf that the Left - 'enjoying power without responsibility' - would only bark, not bite. As early as November last, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Pawar had realised how hollow has been such media cliché and how near was the government's demise. Pranab Mukherjee had then got a brief respite after strenuous bargains at panel meetings and repeated visits to Salt Lake in Kolkata to seek Jyoti Basu's intervention.

An unannounced condition in November - to which two of the Big3 were party - was that Pranab should be given ample leeway to put the deal to sleep even as the Left side desists from continuing with the threat to pull down the government. Right or wrong, the left leaders now conclude this undertaking has been broken by the government's pronouncements, directly and through media, and its own actions. Any one who is familiar with the Left's political style will realise that it is a straight threat to topple the UPA government at the earliest unless the deal is scrapped forthwith. They claim they have little stake left with in this government.

Therefore, for them, it makes hardly any difference if the elections are held now or April, 2009, as Lalu Yadav asserts it will be. Any time they could score their worst scenario figure of 40-45 seats. The Congress will have to take note of another vital change in Left approach. And it will have more serious implications. If the Congress seeks their support in the 15th Lok Sabha after a rupture on the nuclear deal issue now, it could be only on the basis of a set of new stiff conditionalities. These include redrafting of the common minimum programme and pre-decision consultations and consent on every crucial decisions of the UPA government. They will also insist on a repeal and re-negotiation of the nuclear deal, if already signed, and a bill for obligatory parliamentary endorsement for international treaties and agreements.

If the BJP could put in freeze the three Hindutva issues, why should the UPA take Left demands as 'restrictive'? Those who think it as humiliation could be prepared either to seek 'our support or bow out.' The UPA, Left leaders say, is not short of competent ministers. Left asserts that fighting 'communalism' (keeping off the BJP) can't be at the cost of fighting 'imperialism' (US penetration). New conditionalities could be relaxed if the present arrangement continues through the 14th Lok Sabha. As for now, the mood in the Left camp is to allow passing of the finance bill and budget even after formally submitting the withdrawal letter to the President.

The Left threat has come at a time when the Congress has begun a set of consultations and campaign plans to make electoral capital out of the populist union budget. These are aimed at seeking feedback from the ground levels, energising the party machinery, spread the message of the budget and keep the workers ready for polls. After Delhi, rallies are scheduled at all state capitals and districts. Sonia had meetings of party MPs in groups. A special meeting of the AICC office-bearers, PCC presidents and legislature party leaders are also being called.

The schism between South Bloc's nuclear lobby and the UPA politicians are apparent. The former asserts it is time to call the Left bluff and safeguard India's credibility. The UPA allies and Congress foot soldiers hold an entirely different view. Those like Lalu Yadav and Sharad Pawar know how absurd will it be to go to polls with nuclear deal as the main plank. Bangladesh and Kargil victories had tremendous patriotic undertones. The NDA is sure to turn the deal into an issue of the surrender of sovereignty if the idea clicks with the voters. They can rightly claim that the NDA alone had the guts to stand up against the foreign challenge and put India into the nuclear club. If this catches on, all other showpieces of the UPA government will get overshadowed.

Unlike the armchair politicians, the pragmatist UPA allies consider it a folly to seek another term after failing to run a coalition even for four years. For most part of India, blaming the Left will be like hitting a fly with sledge hammer. The UPA's four years will be juxtaposed with the NDA's stable government for six years. In elections what matters is the credibility with the voters, not Washington. Lalu has already gone public with his opposition to holding early elections. If he is quoted rightly, elections will be held 'in April, 2009, not one day before.' Three weeks back, Pawar too had given a bit of his mind about the nuclear deal vs early polls.

For Sonia Gandhi, the nuclear confrontation is going to be another severe test of her political dexterity. She was the one on whom the Left had still had some trust. Will the PM reconcile to the political realities and agree to the sense of the party at large? Will the Big3 once again come to the rescue of the coalition with their blunt outbursts and save Sonia from the embarrassment? Or can she come up with another surprise formula to save the coalition from its premature demise? The next ten days will provide us some idea. (IPA Service)

Sir,

This space more than often has been used to recite one's unabridged philosophy, to tamper the unbridled flow of state of affairs. (Not) in timbre to the above, here's something that matters more.

Amid elections, speculations over the nuke deal, post-Budget or worse still Rakhi Sawant slapping her boyfriend in national television, dust seems to have roofed atop the Indian Hockey team! Little attention, though, is being focused on the same.

I am, unfortunately one of those people who are really tired of having seen India's dismal and embarrassing performance at the Olympics for the past decades and I think I make much sense when I say that a moratorium should be placed on the Indian players, as I could guess they suffer from a severe case of aboulia - a mental disorder which results in complete loss of will power and until they are cured, it's best they not venture out.

More particularly the Indian hockey team, an eight-time Olympic Gold medallists, could only muster an embarrassing defeat in the qualifying rounds. This is for the first time the Indian hockey failed to qualify for the Olympics.

The team on the whole played just better than the women's team completely lacking espirit de corps and discipline, but the impression that some of the players gave was as though they had just been robbed of a gold medal.

Reiterating myself, it's only heartbreaking that all of a sudden these 'once upon a time ugly ducklings' seem to have been catapulted to the media circus, not much for what they deserve but for this defeat only. (Hmm… I could only smirk!) Never have we heard about them as much as the Indian cricket team.

Perhaps they need more good-looking men in the hockey team, hyper metro-sexual men with proper manicured and pedicured nails to be able to endorse for some hair-gel or even whisky maybe.

It would be lack of forethought if we said both these teams enjoy the same amount of fanfare.

The Indian Hockey Team's only moment of grandeur: the screening of the movie Chak De - a limerick to the game which later on became a war-cry at India's every winning stroke (while playing cricket though!!)

However, stepping aside from the sarcasm and cynicism, there's much more in the bargain: the only thing left is for shock and humiliation to trickle in.

A flood of resignation letters have tendered in all striking the identical arpeggio- that they regret the defeat and blah! blah!

Coach Joaquim Carvalho's over statement was that the team should start from the scratch and that this is not the end of the game. I and everyone else are much relieved to hear that. We can only hope (if at all) for the hockey team to resurrect themselves from the dead.

A realization should strike the Indian Hockey Federation, so that it puts on its bifocals and gets cured of its myopic vision, that it was better to pull out of something that yielded no results, rather than to pin hope against hope.

More willingly to that is its President KPS Gill to remark that the team is not an 'instant coffee machine' that can give results instantly.

It's shameful that nobody is willing to take responsibility even at the cost of this shameful defeat.

The outgoing Vice-President went on record to narrate the disenchantment within the Sports Ministry, there's no Selection Committee and that a coach is selected on the criteria if he's a "Yes Sir" man.

Is this what we expect?

But in spite of this entire hullabaloo, many of us just couldn't care much with what is happening.

'Tis really true, some big news may soon appear in this same media space and everyone will forget it (the hockey debacle), but the problem just gets tougher to solve.

The problem, if it could be called one, is perception: the rest of the population is more inclined towards cricket rather than hockey, even if it is our national game.

Many shrug off their shoulders at the utterance of names like Dhanraj Pillai and Amir Kumar. However, there'll always be those who pontificate the ever important notion of choice and interest because our interest is tilted towards cricket only, even if we have had our fair share of embarrassment at the Cricket World Cup as well.

The only solution to this syndrome as I see it is that India needs to pull out to reorganize, rethink its strategies and improve its infrastructural facilities. If India ever expects to do well in the Olympics then it should concentrate on the future and not dwell on past glories.

To end this long dialectic, let us ask ourselves: Where does Indian Hockey go from here?

Yours etc.,
Albert W.Lanong
Pune
Via mail.

Over 2000 slogan shouting people tried to prevent the camp from being dismantled claiming the camp was required in the interest of peace as the NDFB was on ceasefire with the Centre, official sources said.

As the situation was going out of control, the police fired in which three persons were killed and 10 injured. One of the injured later died in hospital.

The curfew was imposed in areas falling under Runikata police station and Bengtol police outpost from 2 pm, IGP Bodoland Territorial District Administration (BTAD) N M Dutta said.

The camp along the Indo-Bhutan border had to be dismantled as the militant outfit was provided with designated camps as per the ceasefire guidelines, official sources said.

The sources claimed that the NDFB mobilised the people of the area to protest against closing down of the camp.

Shops immediately downed their shutters and tension prevailed in the area.

The mob also set ablaze an office of NDFB's rival Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT), now disbanded and heading the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous Districts (BTAD), under which Chirang district is located.

The Robiram Narzary faction of the Bodoland People's Progressive Front has called a 12-hour BTAAD bandh on March 15 to protest against the police firing and demanding a judicial investigation.

The NDFB was under ceasefire agreement with the Centre for the past four years. (PTI)

Imphal: Displaying a novel way of protest, womenfolk of Langthabal in Imphal West district staged a stiff resistance on Thursday to the government authorities who tried to demarcate land in the area for the expansion of Manipur University. The womenfolks on Thursday sealed all the entry points of the land by fencing with women’s clothing and undergarments.

As a result, government officials who went there for demarcation were prevented from entering the land.

It may be mentioned that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the acquisition of land for the expansion of Manipur University (MU) has been protesting the decision of the authorities in trying to acquire the nearby agricultural land. The JAC had also burnt the effigy of the chief minister Ibobi Singh at the MU main gate in Canchipur, Imphal West on March 10. The JAC has also submitted a memorandum to the VC of MU urging the authorities to re-consider the decision to acquire 200 acres of land from Langthabal area, adjacent to MU.

The land acquisition proposal has affected 8 villages around the University campus. The JAC also said that 285 acres had been snatched from the people earlier while condemning the decision to acquire another 200 acres from the people of the area.

Meanwhile, another women group from Ningombam and Malom register protest against the government decision in acquiring the lands adjacent to Imphal airport for the expansion of the airport.

Kohima: Having made an attempt to please almost all the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) legislators by allotting them key portfolios, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today sought support from DAN partners, asking them to "understand the painful task of government formation".

"I appeal to all political parties of the alliance and their workers to understand the fact that the government and ministry formation is not an easy task, especially in the backdrop of downsizing of ministry," he said yesterday.

He said, he was convinced that the initial tension created by the downsizing exercise had subsided and political parties were now well reconciled with the ground reality.

He appointing 11 cabinet ministers and 13 parliamentary secretaries and 8 chairmen of government bodies on Wednesday.

Governor of Nagaland, K. Sankaranarayanan on Thursday, sworn-in Dr. Neikiesalie Nicky Kire as the protem Speaker, of the 11th Nagaland Legislative Assembly.

The swearing-in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan, Kohima was attended by the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio along with ministerial colleagues and the Chief Secretary and Government officials.

Meanwhile, the first cabinet meeting held today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio has decided to hold the first session of the 11th Nagaland Legislative Assembly from March18, 2008.

Protem Speaker, Dr. Nicky Kire will chair the session, wherein the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are likely to elected, besides administration of oath of secrecy and affirmation to the newly elected members of the House.

The Governor will address the newly elected members of the House on March 20 while the budget ‘vote on account’ will be presented on March 24 by the Finance Minister, Neiphiu Rio. (Agencies)

Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, also holding the Finance portfolio, today presented a Rs 30.36 crore deficit budget for 2008-09 in the Assembly.

The state annual budget consisted of Rs 1,623.83 crore under non-plan and Rs 1,001.21 crore plan outlay, which included provisions from the North Eastern Council (NEC) and Centrally sponsored schemes.

In his budget speech, Mr Zoramthanga said the estimated opening deficit to the tune of Rs 84.65 crore was expected to close with Rs 30.36 crore due to the surplus to the tune of Rs 54.29 crore in the budget estimate of the next fiscal.

He said the fact that the State Government no longer needed to park huge fund in the Public Account to meet expenditure requirements on the Consolidated fund indicated continued improvement of the state finance.

He promised to maintain the position enabling the government to refrain from keeping idle funds in public account deposits.

However, he expressed concern over the increasing pressure on non-plan expenditure and the burgeoning interest payments, especially on the increasing salary and pension components due to revisions of pay and dearness allowances of the State Government employees.

The Chief Minister said the estimated amount of salary expenditure for 2008-09 formed 34.85 per cent of revenue expenditure and 27.73 per cent of net total expenditure in the Consolidated fund.

He also said the estimated expenditure on Pension Bill formed 5.22 per cent of the revenue expenditure and 4.15 per cent of net total expenditure in the Consolidated fund. (UNI)

Aizawl: The Mizoram Assembly on Thursday entered into a heated debate over the controversial Baffacos (Bamboo Flowering and Famine Combat Scheme) with Opposition accusing the government of its failure spend funds judiciously.

To a question of Congress member H Rohluna, Chief Minister Zoramthanga claimed that his government had been able to combat Mautam, famine caused by excessive bamboo flowering.

Mr Zoramthanga, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said that the funds under Baffacos were properly utilised. Had it not been so then the impact would have been more disastrous, he added.

Ruling MNF member Lalchhandama Ralte, who came to the rescue of the Chief Minister, told the Opposition that Mizoram was the only state in entire Northeast to have such scheme.

"This proves the efficiency of our Chief Minister,'' he added.

He also calrified that the farmers have continuously been getting waged employment under the Baffacos.

To this Congress legislator R Lalzirliana said that the agriculture director had been chargesheeted for misutilisation of funds under the scheme but no action had been taken against him.

Mizoram People’s Conference group leader Lalhmingthanga also jumped into the debate asking the government to provide details of the allocations made for Baffacos in since 2004-05.

To this Mr Zoramthanga informed that more than Rs 125 crore have been alloted so far and also assured a list of names of beneficiaries to the House.

The government also claimed that Rs 10,000 lakh was distributed to the farmers in all the eight districts during 2007-08.

However, the Opposition alleged that most of the district were badly affected due to Mautam and people had no food to eat. (UNI)

To a query that why urban residents were among the beneficiaries of Baffacos, Mr Zoramthanga explained that there is a number of farming families in urban, who have jhums in rural areas. (UNI)

The Satras are typical monasteries of Vaishvanite movement in the state initiated by Sankardeva about 550 years ago. The state government has directed all the district magistrates to prepare a list of all Satras and draft plans for their revival and renovation.

About Rs eight crores have already been sanctioned from the government's own resources. Of which Rs four crores were released for the renovation of 64 monasteries so far. Mr Bora assured that the state government would emphasize on the development of these 'Satras', which are an intergral part of state's culture and heritage. (UNI)

Addressing a press conference, the vice president of the state working committee of RJD, T Chungsei Haokip said on Thursday that the RJD will also field two candidates – one each from the hills and the valley – in the upcoming Rajya Sabha poll. (NNN)

New Delhi: Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) parliamentarian from Lakhimpur Arun Kumar Sarma on Thursday accused the government of ignoring the plight of over 50,000 families displaced by floods in Assam last year.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during zero hour, Sarma said the government was doing precious little to tackle the hardships of the people displaced by floods since last year.

"Even after over a year, these families are constrained to live on the roadsides, embankments and other such temporary arrangements with the hope that the government would chip in with some support. Nothing (in relief) has reached them so far," said Sarma.

Seeking their immediate rehabilitation, Sarma said the government needed to build not only their houses but also roads, and to provide the flood-affected other basic facilities.

"The road connectivity has not yet been restored. There is no central assistance for them and there is no change in their lot. The government has totally neglected them."

He demanded that the government should immediately release funds from the centre's Calamity Relief Fund (CRF).

"Funds from the CRF have not yet been released. These should immediately be released," said Sarma.

The government provides relief to the victims of notified natural disasters like flood, tsunami and drought through the CRF, a non-plan fund. An amount of over Rs.213.33 billion has been allocated in the CRF for 2005-10. (IANS)