Guwahati, Sep 30 : In a joint operation, personnel of the Indian Army and the paramilitary Central Police Reserve Force (CRPF) arrested two militants of the People''s Liberation Army here on Thursday.

They recovered a grenade and a laptop from the arrested duo.

The long-awaited night safari at Assam State Zoo in Guwahati was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh on Sunday.

The safari will be thrown open to public from April 15. Initially, two battery-operated vehicles will provide this service to visitors.

The ticket price and other such formalities are being finalized. First of its kind in the state, the service is expected to be greeted with enthusiasm.

It comes as a news of rejoice as the Assam government passed a bill to provide the right for basic healthcare to all the needy patients.

With this, the north-eastern state Assam became a pioneer in making the treatment free for at least first 24 hours to emergency patients at both the private and government healthcares. The bill which was passed in the Assembly on March 31 ensures the Assamese a right for basic healthcare.

Assam Public Health Bill, 2010, was passed in the Assembly on Wednesday issuing right to health to every citizen. With this, Assam has become the first state in the country to pass legislation asserting right to health as an inclusive right of every citizen of the state.

This bill make it mandatory for all Government and private hospitals and nursing homes to provide free healthcare services for first 24 hours to any patient seeking emergency, side by side maintaining proper procedure for treatments.

The Indian industrialists and even the multinational companies are now planning to move towards the north east region of the country to explore more opportunities to grow and expand their operations even further.

Guwahati, Jan 30 - Fans are known to do crazy things. But Assam's singing sensation Zubeen Garg of "Ya Ali" fame was taken aback when he realised that a woman fan had stealthily chopped off his ponytail at a recording studio here.

The incident took place late Friday when Zubeen was busy dubbing an Assamese number at the DG Music Studio in Guwahati.

"I suddenly found that my ponytail was missing and then found a woman fan of mine, who seems to be a little crazy, holding the lock of hair and shouting at me. What could I do?" Zubeen told journalists.

Guwahati, Jan 11 :With the top United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) are behind the bars the people of Assam are hoping that 2010 would be peaceful and prosperous. The common mandate is geared towards peace and development in the region.

The people of Assam welcome the year 2010 in a novel way. Various social organizations, NGOs, youth and students’ bodies, under the aegis of Journalist Federation of Assam held a peace rally in Guwahati.

Guwahati, Jan 10 : The farmers'' organisation in Assam blocked the Guwahati-Shillong highway to protest the killing of five coal labourers in Meghalaya last year.

The farmers'' organisation, All Assam Shramik Krishak Kalyan Parishad (AASKKP), demanding security and justice, blocked the highway, creating chaos.

"They (farmers) used to go to Meghalaya for work. If they are treated like animals and eventually killed then who is going to listen to us? The media, central government has nothing to say in this matter. They are responsible," said president of AASKKP Mohammad Faizur Rahman.

AASKKP has submitted a memorandum to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Governor of Meghalaya RS Mooshahary demanding compensation.

Guwahati, Jan 10 - Two hardcore separatists of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were shot dead in a gunfight with security forces in Assam Sunday. A large haul of explosives and weapons was seized from the dead rebels, officials said.

A police spokesperson said a joint team of Assam police and paramilitary troopers were challenged by a three-member group of ULFA militants early Sunday near Khetri, about 45 km east of Assam's main city of Guwahati.

"Based on specific inputs about some militants roaming in the area, the security team went to the location and was fired upon by the militants... and soon there was a fierce gunfight," a senior police officer said.

Guwahati, Jan 9 : The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Saturday said it was ready to hold peace talks with New Delhi only if its jailed leaders were freed.

"Talks, if any, cannot be held from the prison cell. If the jailed leaders are released, the peace process could begin," ULFA vice chairman Pradeep Gogoi told journalists while being brought to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital for a health check-up.

Guwahati, Jan 8 - The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Friday denied any plans to attack the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and said media reports in both India and Bangladesh to this effect were baseless.

Guwahati, Jan 8 - The Indian Railways has finally sacked one of the country's most wanted terrorists on the charge of not attending office for close to three decades after it was reported that he continued to be a central government employee supposedly posted in Assam.

Self-styled commander-in-chief of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Paresh Baruah was appointed a porter of the Northeast Frontier Railways in 1978 at the Tinsukia division in eastern Assam.

But the ULFA leader was absent from his work since January 1980.

Guwahati, Jan 6 : More than 450,000 state government employees in Assam Wednesday launched the first phase of their agitation with a three-hour demonstration to press their demand that their new pay scale be made effective from January 2006.

The Sadou Assam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP), the apex forum of employees unions in Assam, staged the statewide protest from 12 noon Wednesday, paralysing normal functioning in government offices.

Guwahati, Jan 6 - The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Wednesday threatened to attack security forces and vital installations in Assam ahead of India's Republic Day.

"We are going to step up our offensive and target security forces and other vital installations," self-styled ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah said in an e-mailed statement.

Titled 'new guidelines and instructions', the rebel statement also warned of action against Assam Police personnel and informers.

Guwahati, Jan 4 : Masked gunmen late Monday shot dead one of the sisters of Ranjan Daimary, chief of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), at her village home in Assam, officials said.

A police spokesperson said three to four gunmen attacked 40-year-old Lilawati Daimary at her residence at village Harisinga in Udalguri district, about 110 km north of here.

Ranjan Daimary is believed to be somewhere in Bangladesh.

Guwahati, Jan 4 : Three people, including a police commando, were killed and two wounded in Assam Monday in an ambush by separatists, officials said.

A police spokesperson said heavily armed militants attacked a security convoy near Mahur in North Cachar Hills district, about 290 km south of Assam's main city of Guwahati.

"A security convoy of two vehicles was attacked by militants from atop a hill with automatic weapons in which two civilians and a police commando were killed," the official said.

Guwahati, Jan 2 : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has expressed satisfaction over militants giving up arms and regaining the mainstream.

Addressing a press conference here, Gogoi said: "All insurgent groups, have realised the futility of continuing with the armed struggle.”

“They have realised it. As a result of which, a large number of them have come to the mainstream," he added.

The state has a half-dozen rebel groups fighting for independent homelands for an estimated 26 million Assamese people.

Guwahati, Jan 2 : Members of the Journalist Federation in Assam staged a rally in Guwahati on Friday to highlight the need for the state government to counter terrorism.

Representatives of 30 other organisations, including some political outfits joined the peace march.

Guwahati, Jan 2 : Four wild Asiatic elephants, including two calves, were mowed down by a speeding goods train Saturday in Assam, officials said.

A railway spokesperson said the incident occurred near Walingdisa railway station in Karbi Anglong district, about 270 km east of Assam's main city Guwahati. The train was transporting petroleum products.

"The train hit the elephant herd squatting on the track. The train driver probably did not see the herd because of dense fog," Northeast Frontier Railways chief spokesperson S. Hajong told IANS.

Guwahati, Jan 1 : In a recent revelation it has come to light that the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leaders neglected to teach their children in the Assamese language, for which they are fighting for.

A reason for this is that before being arrested, the ULFA leaders were residing in Bangladesh. As a result, their children are alien to the Assamese language.