The Northeast Notebook

ASSAM chief minister Tarun Gogoi has mooted the idea of holding a World Tea Convention in Guwahati early next year to boost the image of Assam tea in the global market as well as use it is a platform to give a much-needed fillip to the overall image of the state. The proposed convention, for which local tea giants like Tata Tea Ltd has already assured help, will bring in tea importers from all over the world, so that the global consumption of Assam tea as well as Indian tea increases.

German boost for Tripura bamboo

TRIPURA8217;S poor tribals can now expect some good days ahead; the state government has been able to get Rs 80-crore in support for a project that will help boost Tripura8217;s efforts to regenerate its bamboo groves, which are currently on the brink of vanishing. The project is also expected to wean away about 55,000 tribals who have been engaged in traditional jhum slash and burn method of cultivation that not only threatens the bamboo groves but also leads to top-soil erosion in the hill regions.

Bus link between Shillong and Dhaka

TWO weeks after the Agartala-Dhaka bus service took off, it is now Meghalaya8217;s turn to ask for the introduction of a direct bus service between Shillong and the Bangladesh capital. The distance between the two cities being only 380 kilometres, a bus service would provide a major boost to the trade activities between Meghalaya and Bangladesh, which at present is worth about Rs 400 crores per annum.

DD film on Devdas wins award

Pramathesh Chandra Barua refuses to die. He is in the limelight again, one week before the conclusion of his birth centenary celebrations, as a documentary on his life and works 8212; including his short stint as a member of the Assam Legislative Council 8212; received the best film award in the biography category instituted by Prasar Bharati last week. The director of the film, Nikhilesh Barua, incidentally comes from the same family of Gauripur of which PC Devdas Barua was the most luminous scion.