The protection force will have more than 1,200 personnel

Assam will soon set up a gas-based thermal power plant; which for the first time will use 'waste' gas as its fuel.

Company has asked the Assam government to come up with "investor friendly" policies for renewable energy sector investors

Welspun Energy Limited (WEL), a subsidiary of Mumbai-based Welspun Group, has expressed its "eagerness" to invest in Assam's renewable power sector. For that, the company has asked the Assam government to come up with "investor friendly" policies for renewable energy sector investors.

Only 9.03 per cent of the registered households in Assam were provided with 100 days employment from 2007 to 2012

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found several discrepancies and irregularities in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the Congress-ruled North-Eastern state of Assam.

Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), which has a massive expansion plan of its refinery on the cards, is eyeing the Bangladesh market to sell products in near future.

A senior company spokesperson confirmed Business Standard that NRL was exploring the neighbouring country’s market and business discussions with Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) and the government of Bangladesh for supplying diesel were on. “Both BPC and government of Bangladesh have expressed keen interest in the project and desired that this project be pursued expeditiously,” the spokesperson added. NRL and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), NRL’s parent company, had “detailed discussion” with BPC and Bangladesh government representatives in the month of January 2013 to “progress on this proposal”.

With hills and mountains dotting the landscape of North Eastern region, the Centre plans to promote the region as an ‘adventure tourism’ destination to increase the flow of tourists, particularly foreign tourists, said Union minister of state for tourism K Chiranjeevi.

“We know not all the roads are in good condition in the region. But not all tourists complain this as many like adventure tourism. The region can be a great destination for adventure tourism. If we can promote the region as an adventure tourism destination before the world, we can surely attract foreign tourists in the region,” said Chiranjeevi at the three day ‘International Tourism Mart’ which concluded here on Sunday.

Special fiscal and incentive packages for industrial growth in North East “have so far failed to trigger major investment flow in the region in the manner it was conceived,” said Paban Singh Ghatowar, minister of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). He said in the absence of secondary sector, the growth of North Eastern states during the 11th Plan period was driven just by the primary and tertiary sectors.

“Special fiscal packages under North East Industrial Policy (NEIP) and North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPPP) have so far failed to trigger major investment flow in the region in the manner it was conceived.

With the first unit of 726 MW Palatana power project in Tripura expected to start commercial production soon, Assam hopes to draw its share of 120 MW of power despite hurdles in evacuating power from the project site.

The first unit, which is of 363 MW, has already started its trial run and is presently producing around 45-50 MW of power. However, due to non-completion of erection of high-voltage transmission line to evacuate from project site at Palatana in south Tripura and connect to North Eastern grid in Bongaigaon in Assam, production of power to its optimum capacity might get delayed.

After diesel price hike and bus-fare hike, consumers in Assam will have to bear another stiff hike. Power tariff in Assam will go up by Rs 1.03 from November 1, 2012.

All tea factories in Assam which are situated within ‘No Development Zones’ (NDZ) as well as in the range of 500 metres from the coordinates of NDZs will soon have to go green or else will face clo