Holding placards and chanting slogans against the Lapand-led MDA Government, hundreds of KSU activists joined the public procession starting from KSU office, Jaiaw.

The processionists marched through Police Bazaar, Lachumiere and Barik Point before converging on Soso Tham Auditorium premises.

"Scrap the deal or face the music," "Don't mortgage our State," "MDA-Mukul Dictatorship Alliance," etc., were the slogans scribbled on most placards.

After the rally, a public meeting was held at the State Central Library where KSU leaders addressed the protestors.

Addressing the meeting, KSU president Samuel Jyrwa said his union would intensify its agitation, if the State Government failed to scrap its decision to hand over power projects to private companies.

"If the government can hurriedly call a Cabinet meeting to decide on handing over power projects to private companies within four days after holding its first meeting (on the matter), it can also call another Cabinet meeting to cancel the deal," Mr Jyrwa said.

He alleged that the government action showed "an open corruption to collect funds for certain vested interests in the government ahead of the Assembly elections."

While saying six Cabinet ministers and major political parties were also opposed to the "deal" on power projects, the KSU president reiterated that handing over of the power projects to private companies was a "total sellout" and against the "interests of the people of the State."

KSU general secretary Hamlet Dohling pointed out that the Union was not against implementation of power projects in the State but it opposed the Cabinet decision to allot power projects to private companies in a hurry.

Meanwhile, KSU has decided to go ahead with its office picketing in East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.

SHILLONG: FKJGP has urged the State Government to immediately scrap the December-7 Cabinet decision to hand over five power projects to private companies, while indicating that it will join hands with KSU in future agitations on the issue.

Talking to The Shillong Times on Monday, FKJGP information secretary Dundee C Khongsit said his organisation was firm in its stand on opposing the "controversial deal" on electricity projects which, according to him, was detrimental to the interests of the State.

"This is our clear message to the MDA Government that if it does not scrap the Cabinet decision on power projects immediately, FKJGP will not hesitate to join hands with KSU in the latter's future agitations on this issue," Mr Khongsit said.

He alleged that the process of handing over the power projects to private firms was not transparent and it violated provisions of the State Power Policy. He also termed as "doubtful" the antecedents of the companies involved in the power projects.

Besides Mr Momin, the four UDP candidates are Charles Duncan Wahlang (Pynthorumkhrah), Banri Kupar Wahlang (Laban), Remington Pyngrope (Dienglieng) and Metbah Lyngdoh (Mairang).

"We will contest the elections in as many as 58 seats. The process of identifying prospective candidates is on, especially in Garo Hills," UDP general secretary Rain Augustine Lyngdoh said.

He said the party had yet to finalise its candidates for Jaiaw and Mawprem, two out of the 36 constituencies in Khasi and Jaintia Hills.

According to Mr Lyngdoh, the UDP will formally announce the candidature of former Chief Minister JD Rymbai on January 11.

Two MDP legislators Process T Sawkmie (Mawlai) and DP Iangjuh (Mawsynram), who returned to UDP fold recently, will also be named as UDP poll nominees for their respective seats within this month, party sources said.

MDP candidate for Mawsynram

MDP's Mawsynram Circle will hold a party conference at Mawsynram on January 15 to announce the name of party candidate for the constituency.

The party's Mawsynram Circle held an emergency meeting on the matter on Monday. The January-15 conference will nominate the candidate based on opinions of party workers, MDP's East Khasi Hills general secretary B Kular Khongjirem said.

"The recent claim of Mr Marak that he is a local person is wrong and baseless as he was born and brought up in Bali Kusi village of Upper Assam where his parents still reside. He came to Meghalaya for studies and married a girl whose parents latter settled in Assam permanently," Mr Sangma said.

He also alleged that Mr Marak and his wife got jobs in Nongstoin "through political backing and fabricated documents like Scheduled Tribe certificates, etc obtained from Meghalaya."

"In fact, he (Mr Marak) is not entitled to contest elections from any reserved seat of Meghalaya," Mr Sangma said, adding Mr Marak got Congress ticket to contest the coming Assembly polls without submitting his application to Kharkutta Block Congress Committee as per rules of the party.

Strangely, Mr Marak has so far not responded to these allegations. He could not be contacted on phone either.

SHILLONG: A local court on Monday awarded life imprisonment to Tenderly Hynniewta in the sensational Corphilia murder case.

Delivering his verdict in a jam-packed courtroom, Additional District and Sessions Judge Wanlura Diengdoh said Tenderly was found guilty of "cold-blooded murder" of his "pregnant girlfriend" Corphilia Nongkynrih under section 302 of IPC and had been sentenced to life in jail with a fine of Rs 5,000. The court also gave the convict an additional three-year jail term with a penalty of Rs 1,000.

He said Tenderly would have to serve another one-year jail term, if he defaulted in payment of fine.

"The convict has been awarded three more years' imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1,000 under section 201 IPC for concealment of the knife which he used to slit the throat of his girlfriend," Mr Diengdoh said.

The judge, however, overruled the public prosecutor's plea for death sentence, saying it was not the "rarest of the rare" case. He was spared death sentence for having no prior criminal record and also showing remorse for his crime, the judge said.

On September 6 2002, Tenderly had murdered his girlfriend Corphilia Nongkynrih (19), who was seven-month pregnant, in "cold blood" by slitting her throat at a graveyard at Lawmali.

Emerging from the day-long trail, which was also attended by members of prominent women's organisation Lympung Ki Seng Kynthei, Corphilla's mother M Nongkynrih said, " I am very happy with the verdict. He (Tenderly) deserves the punishment for killing my young daughter."

An equally jubilant Eva Nongkynrih, Corphilla's younger sister, said, "We had patiently waited for this day for six years. Today we are very happy with this verdict."

"Justice has been done after a long fight," public prosecutor WHD Syngkon said.

Meanwhile, defence counsel MS Qureshi said they would appeal in the High Court against the lower court verdict.

Lympung Ki Seng Kynthei Theilin Phabuh said, "Notwithstanding the time the court has taken, the court verdict has satisfied every woman in the State", adding, "Such decision will act as a deterrent force to those who wanted to abuse women's rights."

Against Central Budget support of Rs 10671 crore provided in the budget estimates of 2007-08 for implementation of SSA programme, an amount of Rs 9359 crore has been released to states/union territories, the statement said. To further speed up implementation of the SSA programme in 2007-08, a supplementary grant of Rs 2300 crore has been obtained, it added.

In the XI Plan, SSA has a funding pattern between Centre and states in the ratio of 65:25 for the first two years of the XI plan. For the north eastern states, the fund sharing pattern between Centre and states will be in the ratio of 90:10 under the programme with the Centre's share resource from the 10 per cent earmarked funds for the NE region in the SSA central budget. The total outlay approved for SSA for the XI plan in the country is Rs 71,000 crore.

Shillong: Putting the heat on the State unit of the BJP, a complaint has been lodged with the Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee by one HR Das Gupta against one of its ticket aspirants for the Laban constituency for violating the service rule and joining the saffron party even before his retirement under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) was accepted by the Gvernment.

The complaint, which was submitted on Monday, stated that Edward Kharwanlang, a Research Officer in the Planning Department, and an aspirant for the BJP ticket for Laban constituency became an active member of the BJP in the first week of October 2007 and applied for party ticket before November 15 when his request for retirement was accepted by the government only on 30 November, 2007.

Gupta says this is a gross violation of the service rules of the Meghalaya Civil Services Rules which clearly states, "No member of the services shall be associated with any political party or take part in politics."

The complaint alleged that Kharwanlang was openly campaigning by "visiting people's houses along with the Laban BJP legislator even before his VRS was accepted by the government."

Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee said he would be studying the service rules and accordingly decide if action should be initiated against Kharwanlang.

The State BJP is also under the firing line with some of the aspirants alleging that the State Election Committee (SEC) has violated ruled framed by the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) for the forthcoming election to State Legislature in 2008.

From maut ke saudagar to small is beautiful. The latest brainwave to emerge from a desperate Congress, hurting after its electoral massacre in Gujarat and Himachal, is aimed at once again reigniting the flames of 'separatist tendencies' by talking of carving big States into small. The bigness and smallness of a State has little to do with national interest but everything to do with massaging its vote-banks and improving its winability quotient. In the hope that the smaller units will fetch the Party big political dividends.

Camouflaged as imperative for "political stability" in the country (read Party), it has mooted the idea of setting up another States Reorganisation Commission ((last suggested in July 2007) to explore the formation of new States. No matter that till its electoral rout in UP May last, the Party had opposed tooth and nail the creation of small States. It even let the Telengana Rashtriya Samiti quit the UPA alliance.

Today, with Assembly polls in nine States and the General Election just 15 months away, the Party has now backtracked or, should one say, had a rethink and is all set to create Telengana. Primarily, to take the sting out of the TRS political plank, now also backed by the BJP. Recall, the UPA had set-up a sub-committee under Pranab Mukherjee (who else?) but as it had failed to reach a consensus, the decision was left to the Congress.

Needless to say, this out-of-the-blue plan to appoint another SRC is bound to open a Pandora's Box on the demand for statehood from every nook and cranny of the country. Already, over 10 new entrants are rearing to go. It remains to be seen whether the Congress-led UPA Government will come out smelling of roses or reek of rotten eggs.

The task is, indeed, tough, as the issue is both emotive and politically sensitive. Against the backdrop of many regions and sub-regions aspiring to be full-fledged States. Moreover, the Left is divided. While the CPM, which faced a violent demand for Gorkhaland in West Bengal, is opposed to carving out separate states, the CPI has of late has softened its stand on the demand for a Telengana. The NCP also remains lukewarm to the demand for Vidarbha, even though it has no major presence in the region.

Besides Telengana and Vidarbha, BSP's Mayawati favours trifurcation of Uttar Pradesh --- Harit Pradesh out of Western UP, Bundelkhand and Purvanchal out of south-eastern UP. Then there is a demand for Gondwana from portions of Chhattisgarh, Andhra and Madhya Pradesh, Kodagu from Karnataka's coffee belt, Bodoland from Assam, Ladakh from Kashmir, Garoland from Meghalaya, Mithilanchal from North Bihar and Gorkhaland.

Nobody can deny that a few States in India are much too large and unwieldy for efficient governance. It takes nearly two days to get from one end of UP to the other by road! Obviously, administrative efficiency is the first casualty. As the recent experience of Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and, earlier, of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, shows, smaller States are able to meet better the rising expectations of their people for speedy development and a responsive and effective administration. Today, all are shining examples of "small is beautiful."

However, protagonists of bigger States disagree, often sharply. What guarantee, they ask, is there that this will end internal fissures. Make the rivers flow smoothly from one State to another. Merely look at the ugly riparian fight between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu and Punjab and Haryana.

What warranty that it would decrease the ever-rising disparities between the haves and the have-nots which are all the more glaring and difficult to camouflage in small states. Clinching their arguments by asserting that with caste and creed dictating the polity's agenda presently, any fresh redrawing of India's political map would only give monstrous fillip to separatism.

Just see how pandering to casteism over the past many years has unbottled the genie of separatist tendencies. Almost every caste now wants to be included among the Other Backward Castes (OBCs). Even Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians are demanding reservation on the basis of caste which their religions do not accept. Would this be in India's best national interest? Further reinforcing that if smaller incisions have to be made as in the USA, then the body politic of India would need to be wholly restructured on that pattern.

Besides, it may make sound political sense but lousy economics. When the Prime Minister goes blue in the face talking of cutting back on costs, we continue to multiply our expenses. Authoritative sources aver that the creation of a State would cost the national exchequer over Rs 1,200 crore. Entailing expenditure on setting up a new State capital, Assembly and Secretariat but excluding the annual recurring expenses.

In addition, it could well encourage fissiparous tendencies, ultimately leading to India's balkanization and stoke the sub-terranean smouldering fires of disputes over borders--- and cities. Both Haryana and Punjab still claim Chandigarh. Orissa demands the return of Saraikala and Kharsuan. Nagaland still wants to cut into large chunks of Manipur and certain forest areas of Assam to create Nagalim. Bihar yearns desperately for the mineral-rich districts of Jharkhand.

Will not a further partition of the existing States result in an India that would fit Jinnah's classical description of Pakistan as being "truncated and moth-eaten"? The only purpose it will serve will be to whet regional and separatist appetites, as it happened at the time of the first SRC in the mid-fifties. The very "black hole" that our past leaders were ever eager to avoid.

Remember, the first State Reorganisation Commission was set up by the Nehru Government in 1954 under Justice Fazl Ali, retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It recommended that the component units of the Indian Union would consist of two categories ---"States forming primary federation units of the Indian Union and territories which are centrally administered." One of its members, K M Panikkar submitted a dissenting note, seeking the bifurcation of Uttar Pradesh. This was rejected by the Government.

Typical of India's political culture, the first SRC and the creation of new States left in its wake more controversies than it sorted out. Regional leaders promptly started demanding the liberation of smaller colonies from the fat ruling classes. While those opposed countered the demand for smaller States by cautioning against India's break-up into hundreds of smaller States. Did the country want to reverse the historic integration brought about by Sardar Patel?

The tragic irony of history is that successive Prime Ministers bought peace at the cost of strong integrated India by carving out new jagirs for acquiring "new chelas" and assured vote banks. Lest history books omitted their "contribution" in the building of a new India.

The controversies and demands generated then continue till date

Logically, if one district of Assam could be made into a full-fledged State of Nagaland, another into Mizoram, a third into Meghalaya and yet another into Arunachal Pradesh, how can one hold back on Telengana or Vidarbha? The last time new States were created was in 2000 when the NDA regime okayed the creation of Uttaranchal (now Uttarkhand), Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Unfortunately for the Centre, its policy of going populist time and again and opting for quick-fix remedies has boomeranged. What, one might ask, is the alternative? Statesmanship and sagacity lie in adopting the middle path. The UPA Government should not set up another SRC just to win votes.

It needs to learn from the mistakes of the recently carved small States, diagnose the disease afresh and hammer out solutions for better governance. Much can be achieved through meaningful decentralization of administration in these days of computerization, without adding to the cost of governance through top-heavy ministerial baggage.

Let us not allow politicians of all hues to create new pocket boroughs motivated by petty personal interests, undermining national unity. India has entered its 60th year of Independence with 27 States, a testimony to a free and vibrant democracy. Are we now going to roll back history to pre-Independence days and create 562 States? Let not history record what Conrad Egbert once brilliantly stated: We learn nothing from history except that we learn nothing from history! ---- INFA

The task is, indeed, tough, as the issue is both emotive and politically sensitive. Against the backdrop of many regions and sub-regions aspiring to be full-fledged States. Moreover, the Left is divided. While the CPM, which faced a violent demand for Gorkhaland in West Bengal, is opposed to carving out separate states, the CPI has of late has softened its stand on the demand for a Telengana. The NCP also remains lukewarm to the demand for Vidarbha, even though it has no major presence in the region.

Sir,

The news of molestation of two NRI women by a crowd of over 60 men is shocking. It proves the fact how gross moral degeneration in the society can now drive people to engage in such outrageous acts before the public eyes. Well, police has been hard pressed to book the pervert culprits and punish fittingly. But I doubt such punishments alone will ever stop males from pouncing upon women in future when the society is given a free hand to express sexuality in the obvious public view in the name of fashion. In this, why are we pretending as ignorant about the fact how fashion industries have been going the whole hog to impress upon the our young tender girls to wear their dresses seductively and indecently in the full glare of virile males --- which has become too normal now ? If the government really wants that our girls should be looked upon as a devi (goddess), as rightly taught by holy scriptures of all religions, and never as a baby, then it should come out to crack a whip against those irresponsible model-making, film-making industries which have been deluding the whole civilisation by immorally abusing freedom of rights or expression. In fact, it is first these industries which have been outraging the modestly of the gullible models by making them to walk in swimsuits in the name of beauty contests, or by luring them with charms of quick name, fame and money. In order to keep up their business they glorify any aspiring models with poetries which perhaps Shakespeare in heaven envies. Yes, I have long understood an essence of a complex Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity, but I have not understood as yet why shameless models in skimpy dress is described as a bold ladies or with other positive adjectives.

Very bluntly speaking, these fashion and entertainment worlds have blatantly desecrated the sacred sex phenomenon that nature has given for specific purpose of creation to be used privately between just husband and wife. Please note, if flies keep hovering the uncovered plate of you food, then your first duty will be to cover it nicely. This is a short example to the fashion crazy women about how properly they should dress in public to keep evils eyes at bay.

Besides stringent punitive measures against the lustful perpetrators, the government now should not waste time to find out the root causes of increasing moral degradation in the society where sacred sex has been craftily put out for sale as other commercial commodities.

Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali
Shillong -2
Via e-mail

Sir,

Apropos the letter "Misleading news" (ST, Jan 1) by Mr Khroo Shullai, the Upper Mawprem local Dorbar wishes to clarify that it is concerned with the residents of Naspatighari (Nongsohphoh) being the members of the Dorbar. It is their wish to change the name from Naspatighari to "Kiang Nangbah" and the Dorbar has approved and notified their decision. The Dorbar has got nothing to do with Mr. Khroo Shullai and his Nongsohphoh as the KHADC has derecognished them and the Syiem of Hima Mylliem has cancelled the sanad issued to Mr Khroo Shullai and for this he has filed a case in the Hon'ble Gauhati High Court (Shillong Bench). The case is still pending till date. The Dorbar would like to bring to the knowledge of Mr Shullai & Co., that all the Official address by the Government of Meghalaya, authority concerned and other organisations always mention the name of Naspatighari and no where it was known and mention the name of Nongsohphoh. Therefore, the residents of Naspatighari which was translated into Khasi as Nongsohphoh who are the members of the Upper Mawprem local Dorbar wanted to change the name from Naspatighari to "Kiang Nangbah".

The Dorbar hereby warns Mr. Khroo Shullai & Co. not to interfere with the affairs of the Upper Mawprem local Dorbar and at the same time the Dorbar requests those who love and respect Kiang Nangbah as freedom fighter to join hands with the Dorbar in condemning Mr Shullai & Co., as they are against the name and fame of Kiang Nangbah.

Yours etc.,
Johny Kharmawlong
Chairman
Upper Mawprem Local Dorbar,
Shillong-2

Shimla: The ubiquitous Himachali topi is changing colours after the BJP regained power in the hill State and tailors are working overtime.

The Bushehri or Kinnauri cap, which has a green stripe and worn by defeated Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, has given way to Kulluvi topi having a maroon stripe, which is his successor Prem Kumar Dhumal's favourite headgear.

And to be in tune with the changed power scene, government employees working in the state secretariat have also switched over to the Kulluvi topi.

The colours of Himachali topis give a clue to its origins in the state.

"We got 100 Kulluvi topis with maroon stripe two days ago and all of them have been sold," Neena Thakur, sales in-charge of Bhutticco in lower bazar of Shimla, said.

Sale of Kulluvi topi constitutes 90 per cent of the total sale even though the price of both the varieties is Rs 150, she added. Neighbouring shopkeeper Kewal brothers said they were selling 20-25 Kulluvi topis everyday.

Reports from districts also showed a sudden boom in the sale of maroon stripe Kulluvi topis.

A Dharamsala report said sale of the maroon striped Kulluvi cap has increased manifold and due to a short supply it is being sold at a higher price in some shops.

The sale of Kulluvi cap has witnessed a rise even in Rampur sub-division of Shimla district, home of Virbhadra Singh and which also forms part of his Bushehr princely state.

Rattan Das Kashyap of handicapped weavers association, Rampur, said they have got an order for about 50,000 Kulluvi caps with maroon stripe after Dhumal became chief minister.

The tailors are working overtime to meet the demand, he added. Shyam Lal, a tailor in Chaura village of Kinnaur district, said he is working even in the night.

Tek Chand of Nirmand tehsil of Kullu district thanked Dhumal for a sudden boom in his business after people desired to wear the cap worn by the BJP leader.

Dhumal's home district of Hamirpur and neighbouring Una, Bilaspur and Mandi districts also recorded an increase in sales of Kulluvi topi. (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Despite constant criticism, the credit-deposit ratio (CDR) of banks in the North Eastern region remained lowest in the country, according to official sources here on Monday.

The incremental CDR in North East India registered a decline from 31.2 per cent in March 1997 to 26.8 per cent in March 2003, according to Reserve Bank's report on Trend and Progress of Banking in India, 2007. A similar trend was witnessed in the central and eastern regions, the report said.

The regions that fared best were the west and the south, while north India saw fluctuations in this period.

The CDR, which is the proportion of loan-assets created by banks from the deposits received, is an indicator of credit absorption in a particular area.

To ensure adequate credit flow and to reduce wide disparity among regions, the RBI had advised banks to attain a CDR of 60 per cent in rural and semi-urban branches.

However, while the all-India CDR rose sharply to 75 per cent at end-March 2007 from 72.4 per cent at end-March 2006, according to the RBI report, there were wide variations across various states and within regions.

In the eastern region, the CDR in West Bengal, which was below 50 per cent up to 2004, rose to 62.6 per cent in March 2007, the report said.

Guwahati: The Assam Government will soon send a propsal to the Centre for banning three more militant outfits active in the State.

The State Government will seek the ban on All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA), Dima Halam Daoga (Jewel) and the Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF), official sources said here on Monday.

The State Government has sought the ban of the three outfits to help security agencies to tackle militants during counter-insurgency operations and to restrict the movement of the militants.

Currently, the NDFB and ULFA are two banned outfits operating in the State. (PTI)

A Gaon Panchayat presidential candidate for the local rural body polls, Nekibur Zaman Borbhuyan, had published posters, appealing votes, with the Tricolour printed on it to attract attention of the voters.

But he not only attracted the eye of the voters, but also the ire of the State Election Commission, with even his candidature in the docks now.

Hailakandi goes polls on January nine, in the third phase of Panchayat election.

Hailakandi Deputy Commissioner SP Kakati Bora said, ''The matter was brought to our light and we have initiated action.''The DC said the candidate had been served a notice already and a decision on whether to bar him from contesting the polls would be taken depending on the response. (UNI)

Kohima: Close on the heels of outgoing Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio's comment that his party might go to court for judicial review of President's rule in Nagaland, BJP on Monday said it would move the Supreme Court against the UPA Government's decision.

Senior BJP leader and former Health and Family Welfare minister of the state T M Lotha said the party leaders were discussing the matter with their national leaders.

Extending support to the proposed 12-hour highway bandh called by youth wing of Nagaland Peoples' Front (NPF) tomorrow, Lotha said his party would also join the on-going poster campaigns decrying President's rule in the State.

NPF had already launched poster campaigns in the State capital flaying the party defectors and the Congress for the Central rule in Nagaland terming it as "New Year gift".

The Front said the Central rule would jeopardise the on-going Naga peace process.

Refuting the allegation, the Congress said the ceasefire and peace process involved the Union Government and Naga underground groups and they had not cast any apprehension on the fate of the peace talks.

The Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) Government, formed by NPF, BJP, JD(U) and independents, was dismissed on January 3 following the imposition of President's rule. (PTI)

SHILLONG: Meanwhile, the Meghalaya unit of the BJP has strongly condemned the imposition of Central rule in Nagaland.

A statement issued here said "the UPA Government while taking this 'avoidable decision' had exposed its double standard by treating the DAN Government of Nagaland differently from the Congress-led Government in Goa."

"The people of Nagaland and of all other states in North East should teach the Congress-led Governments everywhere with a good lesson by outrightly rejecting the Congress in the next hustings to the Assembly to restore "real democracy and good governance," the BJP said.

Agartala: The Agartala bench of Guwahati High Court has expressed displeasure over the administrative procedure against fake certificate holders, working under different public sectors.

Announcing the decision over such a case filed against a retired secretarial employee of the State administration by the West Tripura District Magistrate and Collector, Justice AB Pal on Monday said that it was shocking to see that a certificate had been cancelled after a period of 30 years, without taking any action against the issuing authority.

In November last, West Tripura DM filed a case against one Sudhir Sarkar, alleging that he had produced fake Schedule Caste certificate, which was issued in 1974. He had reportedly taken a voluntary retirement.

According to Government records, as many as 91 cases of fake SC certificate holders have already been detected, who had been absorbed in various Government departments. (UNI)

The police said, 17-year-old Dhananjoy Debbarma, was fatally injured when he was fired at by the securitymen, mistaking him for an insurgent, during a counter-insurgency operation at Tuichakma area in the jurisdiction of Kalyanpur police station.

As news of Debbarma's death spread, supporters of the opposition Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura set fire to the houses of ruling CPI(M) leaders. (UNI)

NDFB spokesman Sunil Brahma was charged for causing the death of the 21 people at Thekrabari under Kokrajhar police station following a bomb explosion and shootout in the area.

The court acquitted him of all the charges levelled against him by the police stating Brahma was not involved in this particular attack. Brahma was arrested from a hotel in Kolkata's Park Street area in April, 2003. (PTI)

The 27-year old militant, Razizul Haque Byapari, had joined the ULFA in 1999 and was trained in Bhutan. He was used by the outfit to tranship arms from neighbouring countries into the State.

The militant, a resident of Golokgunj in Assam's Dhubri district, left ULFA in 2001 and joined the MULTA where he worked as the outfit's President of Agamani area.

Byapari surrendered before BSF's IG P K Mishra and deposited a 9 mm revolver with two rounds of ammunition. (PTI)

Guwahati: Assam Wildlife Department has faced a new challenge of protecting the endangered tiger from poisoning by villagers living on fringes of wildlife habitats in the State including the famous Kaziranga National Park (KNP).

Two tigers were poisoned to death by villagers in Orang National Park in the State three months back. In that instance, villagers poisoned the carcass of a cow killed by the tigers who died on consuming the poisoned meat.

In a similar incident, one tiger cub died while another fell critically ill after villagers had laced the carcass of a cow with deadly pesticide inside a tea garden located at the fringe of Kaziranga National Park last week. The critically sick poisoned tiger cub is being treated at Wildlife Recue and Rehabilitation Centre at Panbari near Kaziranga National Park.

Wildlife officials said that villagers had resorted to poisoning tigers to prevent the big cats from killing their livestock and it was construed as a reflection of growing man-tiger conflict in the State in the wake of shrinkage of tiger habitats.

"There have been several incidents of killing of cantles by tigers in fringe villages around Kaziranga National Park and the last week's poisoning probably was a retaliatory action by villagers to keep big cats at bay," Bankim Sharma, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Kaziranga Park said.

A bottle of pesticide was recovered in the vicinity of the poisoned carcass that caused death to the tiger cub. A police case was registered an investigation was on.

"This is a serious development t5hat can adversely affect tiger conservation in the state. He said the amount of compensation that is paid to the owner of the cattle killed by tigers is too meager and will not suffice to act as deterrent to poisoning," the Wildlife official said.

State's chief wildlife warden, MC Malakar said that wildlife personnel manning known tiger habitats in the State were alerted and vigil was mounted to prevent death of tigers on being poisoned by villagers. The Wildlife Department's continuing drive to make people aware about importance of the conservation of the tiger is still far from achieving its goal.

As per the estimates made in tiger census of the year 2000, the big cat's population in the state was said to be about 300 including 80 odd in Kaziranga National Park. The figures of the subsequent tiger census carried out in the State during the year 2006 were yet to be made public.