The Northeast Notebook

Money for makeover
KOHIMA, the picturesque capital of Nagaland, which was an important scene of battle during the World War II, has reasons to smile this year; the Asian Development Board will provide Rs 500 crore for transforming the town into a dream city.

The state government meanwhile is preparing a master plan to make this dream a reality. Meanwhile, more funds will be coming from the Centre to extend the Golden Quadrilateral to Kohima.

AIDS centre for Manipur
MANIPUR, one of the worst AIDS-affected states of the country will soon set up an AIDS research centre which will be the first of its kind in the Northeastern region.

The centre will be founded with funds from Rajya Sabha member and longest-serving state chief minister Rishang Keishing’s MP local area development fund. It will conduct studies on the sociological aspects of the disease that has already claimed over 400 people since the first case was detected in February 1990.

Women ‘better borrowers’
THE North East Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi), which is a special financial institution dedicated for the development of the region, has identified women as better borrowers because they are much ahead of their male counterparts when it comes to paying back loans.

Keeping this in mind, NEDFi has launched a new special micro-financing scheme for women entrepreneurs of the region.

Trade route to Myanmar
WITH the Centre adopting a positive look-East policy, the Assam government has embarked upon an ambitious project to explore possibilities for opening up trade with Myanmar.

A delegation of industrialists and industry officials of the state is leaving for Yangon to take part in a trade fair where the members will identify goods that can be exported from Assam. The government is opening several land routes between the Northeast and Myanmar.