ONGC strikes oil in Assam

The ONGC has struck oil at Laiplingaon and Banamali in Upper Assam during 2002-03, Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Sumitra Mahajan informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.escribing the finds as “significant” that could open up the entire sector for exploration, the minister said four more exploratory locations have been identified for drilling.

Majuli funds

The Centre has identified Majuli as one of the projects to be funded by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) through the National Culture Fund. It has also decided that the riverine island would be included in the cultural landscape category when it is nominated for inscription in the World Heritage list.

Train flagged off

The Dibrugarh-Amritsar Express was flagged off at Dibrugarh railway station at 6 am on Tuesday. Siroz Ali, the seniormost railway employee serving as a cabin man in the station, flagged off the train.

Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, currently on a tour of Arunachal Pradesh, arrived in Itanagar on Monday. He was accorded a grand reception by chief minister Gegong Apang and his ministers. The Dalai Lama arrived in the state on December 11.

CM vacates seat

Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga vacated his Kolasib seat and retained his home constituency, Champhai, from where he was elected in the November 20 Assembly polls. Zoramthanga defeated former chief minister and PCC chief Lalthanhawla and former sports minister P.C. Zoramsangliana in the Champhai and Kolasib constituencies respectively.

Bomb attack

Suspected militants hurled a hand grenade at a drug store in Thangal Bazar, the commercial centre of Imphal, on Tuesday. No one was injured as the bomb failed to explode. Police later recovered the bomb.

NESO threat

The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has threatened to launch a fast-unto-death if the Centre failed to respond to its six-point charter of demands. “We are ready to go on a fast-unto-death, if the Centre continues to be indifferent to our demand for 100 per cent job reservation and to book the persons responsible for the train attacks on Northeast people in Bihar,” N.S.N. Lotha, NESO general-secretary said.

Thumbs Up

To Sashwati Saikia of Holy Child School for bagging the first position in the international peace poster contest organised by Lions Club of Guwahati, Kamrup, on the theme Create a Brighter Tomorrow