AGARTALA: The Kolkata-based private airline Northeast Shuttles Ltd (NSL) today announced that it has launched a chartered flight service in the northeast region.
“The civil aviation ministry has given approval to operate this non-scheduled and charter passenger service, first-of-its-kind in the north-east,” NSL managing director Ms Sheba K Mani said.
“Our motto is to boost tourism and also to promote regional development in the north-east and to provide access to the small cities, towns, and remote areas of the region,” she added.
According to Ms Mani, NSL’s nine-seater aircraft (Cessna Caravan 208B) can …

The Union government will deploy permanent security force at the site of mega projects in infrastructure such as roads, telecom, ports, power and civil aviation in the North-East to ensure speedier execution of projects.
The Home Ministry has agreed to accept the proposal a few weeks ago, disclosed Mani Shankar Aiyer, Union Minister for Development of North-Eastern Region said.
An official decision to this effect is likely to be notified and made public a few days hence, industry body Assocham said quoting the minister.
The projects sites and even their developers need physical …

NEW DELHI: India will suggest opening of two more trade centres in Nagaland and Mizoram with Myanmar during trade and investment talks beginning Oct 15, officials said here on Monday.
Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh will head a delegation for the talks in Mandalay, the economic and spiritual hub of Myanmar.
“India will take up the issue of expanding trade centres along the 1,600-km India-Myanmar border. At present, Moreh in Manipur is the only operational trade centre on the border,” said the commerce ministry in a statement.
The two-day talks …

GUWAHATI: GAIL India would invest around Rs 2.5 billion in two new blocks in Tripura and Assam in the coming years, reports Business Standard.
The company will have 80% stake in the Tripura block, which was awarded to it under NELP IV. Jubilant Energy will own the rest 20%.
In the Assam block, which is located in Golaghat and was awarded under NELP V, GAIL (Q, N,C,F)* has 35% stake. Jubilant Energy and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation have 35% and 20% respectively.
GAIL has 29 blocks in the country and it has made …

NEW DELHI: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a $100 million loan to Assam government for fiscal reforms to free up resources needed to boost the state economy and reduce poverty in rural hinterlands.
The Japan Special Fund, through ADB, will also provide technical assistance of $600,000 for capacity development and for supporting programme implementation.
The state government will contribute a further $150,000.
The loan and technical assistance will focus on increasing the revenue department’s administrative capacity including implementation of new information and communication technology systems.
It will also take steps to further …

GUWAHATI: With 12 foreign ambassadors scheduled to participate in the summit and a special session on Thailand-Indian business opportunities, the fourth Northeast Business Summit, to be held Sep 15-16 in Guwahati, Assam, promises to boost the area’s trade and economic relations with the neighbouring countries.
With sessions on IT, tourism, agro and food processing, handloom and cottage industries, and energy besides others, the summit will see the participation of six of the eight chief ministers of the northeastern region.
Minister of Development of Northeast Region Mani Shankar Aiyer, while formally announcing the …