AIZAWL, July 22: Over 32,000 families in Mizoram were identified as living below poverty line, the state food and civil supplies minister Aichhinga said on Wednesday. Altogether 2,455 families of the 32,555 families were living in the state capital alone, he told the House in a written reply. The families living below poverty line would be given ration through the public distribution system (PDS) at half the retail price, he said. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 25, 1999)

AIZAWL, July 22: The Centre has okayed the setting up of four hydel projects in Mizoram, the state deputy chief minister Lalhmingthanga said on Wednesday. Replying to a question in the House, Lalhmingthanga, who also holds the power portfolio, said the cost of one of these projects, the 75-MW Bairabi hydel project, was being assessed. The estimated costs of other three projects are Rs 448.9 cr for the 60 MW Tuirial hydro-electric project, Rs 85.81 cr for the 12 MW Serlui 'B' hydel project and Rs 462.09 cr for the Tuivai hydel project (210 MW), he said. The minister said a Mumbai-based company had been given excess payment to the tune of Rs 6 cr for doing the contract work for the Kau-Tlabung and Tuipanglui mini-hydel projects. "The payments were made during the tenure of the previous Congress government and the present government is in no way responsible for the contract," he said. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 25, 1999)

AIZAWL, July 22: The Union ministry of commerce has sanctioned Rs 2 cr towards constructing a complete building on the Mizoram-Myanmar border to help encourage future trans-border trade, the state minister for trade and commerce Aichhinga told the House on July 21. He said the state government was also making arrangements to develop a township near the Indo-Myanmar border to encourage trade. He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was also developing infrastructural facilities to help the traders. Regarding border trade with Bangladesh, Aichhinga said a trade delegation from Dhaka would visit Mizoram in the near future. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 26, 1999)

NEW DELHI, July 27: The Nagaland chief minister SC Jamir has denied that his government is involved in a lottery scam as alleged in a report of the comptroller and auditor-general (CAG). He has informed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, home minister LK Advani and other central leaders that the report was an attempt at "denigrating his government and tarnishing his image." He had been heading "successfully and competently a stable government" for the last several years, Jamir claimed. "Some people, jealous of my popularity and success, might be behind the move to implicate me in the case." The CAG report was released to the media before it was presented to the Nagaland Assembly in violation of the provisions of the Constitution. It was a breach of privilege of the House. His government was considering what step could be taken under the Constitution, Jamir said. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 28, 1999)

GUWAHATI, July 27: The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) has proposed to generate additional power to the capacity of 475 MW during the remaining period of the Ninth Five-Year Plan. These include 405 MW of Ranganadi hydro-electric project (ongoing) in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, 25 MW from Doyang hydro-electric project (ongoing) in Nagaland and another 25 MW from Kopili hydro-electric project Stage-II in Assam. The corporation has also taken up the 60 MW capacity Tuirial hydro-electric project in Mizoram with the financial assistance from Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF), Japan, which is scheduled to be completed by 2006. NEEPCO is also negotiating with different state governments of the north-eastern region to take up 600 MW Kameng hydro-electric project in Arunachal Pradesh, 210 MW Tuivai hydro-electric project in Mizoram and 150 MW Lower Kopili project in Assam. (The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 28, 1999)

DHAKA, July 28: In a major policy decision, the Sheikh Hasina government on Wednesday approved in principle to examine the issue of transportation of Indian goods through Bangladesh. A brief official announcement said the Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, granted the approval. India has long been pressing for a transit route to transport its goods to the seven north-eastern states through Bangladesh. The Indian proposal had sparked off widespread controversy and protests in political circles. Opposition parties said that providing transit facilities to India would jeopardise Bangladesh's sovereignty and security. The government's decision came within five weeks of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's brief visit here when he was believed to have raised the transit issue during talks with Hasina. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 29, 1999)

AIZAWL, July 28: The Mizoram government is making concerted efforts to make the sub-treasury at the India-Bangladesh border town of Tlabung functional so that border trade between the two countries can be started at the earliest. Stating this in the Assembly on Tuesday, chief minister Zoramthanga said a conducive atmosphere has prevailed in the border areas after an accord was signed between the Bangladesh government and the Chakma rebel outfit, Shanti Bahini. Zoramthanga said more treasuries and sub-treasuries will be constructed in different districts, subdivisional headquarters and big towns keeping in pace with developmental activities. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 29, 1999)

GUWAHATI, July 29: The damages caused by floods in Assam so far this year has been estimated to be to the tune of Rs 100 cr, according to the state minister for revenue, Zoii Nath Sarma. He, however, said that it was only a rough preliminary estimate and the actual damages can be ascertained only when the floodwaters recede. The minister said the calamity relief fund for the state for the current financial year has been fixed at Rs 52 cr. The central government will bear Rs 40 cr, while the balance will have to be borne by the state government. He said the Centre has so far released only Rs 13 cr as the first instalment of the fund. During his last visit to the state, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had announced that the Centre was ready to release its share of the calamity relief fund in one instalment. Sarma said last year the state was hit by the worst-ever floods and the total damages were estimated to be about Rs 1300 cr. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 30, 1999)

AIZAWL, July 29: The Mizoram Assembly passed the state annual Budget for 1999-2000 on Wednesday. The Budget size of Rs 883.24 cr was the same as last year's annual Budget as the Planning Commission was yet to formally approve sectoral allocation of the Rs 360 cr state plan outlay, chief minister Zoramthanga who also holds the finance portfolio said. The detailed sectoral allocation break-up was not available. Zoramthanga informed the House that his government's priority was to be self-sufficient in food production, generation of income, increase of power generation and social reforms. The Assembly took seven days to finalise discussions and passing of all demands of the ministers. The Mizoram Appropriation Bill, 1999, as introduced by Zoramthanga, was also unanimously passed. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 30, 1999)