NEW DELHI, July 17: Senior bureaucrats and policy analysts have urged the state governments of the Northeast to come together to find a common approach for economic development of the region with the initial thrust being on agro-industrial development. They were speaking at a seminar on 'North-East needs an industrial resurgence' organised by Focus Northeast and Interaction India at the Delhi University campus here on July 17. Among those who spoke were PA Sangma, former Lok Sabha Speaker, Bhaskar Baruah, Union agriculture secretary, Jayanta Madhab, chairman, NEDFI, MP Bezbaruah, BG Verghese, policy analyst, Union tourism secretary, GK Pillai, joint secretary (NE), ministry of home affairs. The seminar was presided over by Sanjoy Hazarika. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 18, 1999)

GUWAHATI, July 17: The historic Surya Pahar in Goalpara may be declared and developed as a major tourist spot thanks to the efforts of an employee of the Dibrugarh University, who started the move by submitting memoranda in this regard to all the persons concerned. After receiving a letter from Tikendra Nath Chakraborty, the private secretary to the vice-chancellor of Dibrugarh University, the director-general of National Museum, RD Choudhury, in a letter to MP Bezbaruah, secretary of the ministry of tourism, said the matter of preservation of archaeological sites falls under the director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the facilities for tourists should be accorded by the tourism department. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 18, 1999)

GUWAHATI, July 17: Cashewnut growers of Meghalaya are a happy lot today. After a long time, this year they could sell raw cashew nuts at a steady price over Rs 42 per kilogram. There was no fluctuation of prices this year as the middleman could control the prices to their advantage this year due to presence of the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited in the market as a buyer. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 18, 1999)

KOHIMA, July 18 - Over 37 per cent of the total population of Nagaland live below the poverty line (BPL), according to official reports. The reports, quoting an assessment by an expert group constituted to implement the Centre's targeted public distribution system, said about 96,000 people of the state were living below poverty line (BPL). Under the BPL scheme, introduced by the Centre in 1997, each identified family was being provided with special cards to collect ten kg of grains per month at a specially subsidised rate. It provided district-wise break-up of the 37 per cent of the BPL population living in eight districts of the State - Tuensang (17,345), Kohima (14,834), Dimapur (14,138), Mokokchung (12,320), Phek (10,170), Mon (9,329), Zunheboto (9,202) and Wokha (8,658). (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 19, 1999)

AIZAWL, July 18: The Mizoram Government has submitted 15 projects under the non-lapsable pool fund (NPF) to the Planning Commission for accelerating the development process in the State, official sources said. The projects submitted under the NPF, commonly called 'Peace Bonus,' would receive on approval additional funds which would supplement the draft sectorial allocation of Rs 360 crore State Annual Plan outlay, the chief secretary HV Lalringa said. 'The proposed projects, submitted to the visiting Commission members here, are aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in food production and income generation,' he said. The Centre had earlier agreed to disburse Rs 50 crore annually for five years under the pool fund which is over and above annual plan outlays. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 19, 1999)

GUWAHATI, July 20: In sharp contrast to the hopes raised by the state government in view of the central excise concessions announced recently, the Federation of Industries and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) on Tuesday termed the same as "very insignificant" and against the spirit of the NE Industrial Policy. The FINER president, SK Jain, said these excise concessions, hailed as sweeping by the state government, were not at par with the provision of the office memorandum of North-East Industrial Policy cleared by Union government on December 24, 1997. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 21, 1999)