India-China talking beyond boundary dispute: Tharoor

looking beyond boundary dispute for greater economic cooperation ahead of the second BRIC summit later this year. This was stated in Guwahati on Saturday by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.

BRIC expands to a bloc Brazil, Russia, India and China had formed at Yekatarinburg (Russia) in June last year primarily to challenge US dominance.

“The 21st century is about looking beyond boundary hassles for mutual economic growth, and India and China are doing just that,” said Tharoor at a function in Guwahati to release twin books titled ‘Naturenomics’ by Assamese entrepreneur Ranjit Barthakur.

Tharoor’s statement was in reference to Beijing’s claim on some 90,000 sq km of Indian territory that includes Arunachal Pradesh. It assumes significance following Union Home Minister P Chidabambaram’s assertion (during his visit to Tawang) on April 2 that “Tawang and other areas of Arunachal Pradesh are integral parts of India”.

Tharoor said India’s boundary dispute with China dates back to the 1950s. “There have been several rounds of talks without any solution, but this is the age of going beyond geographical disagreements,” he said.

The Sino-Indian boundary issue is unlikely to crop up at the next BRIC summit.

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NE has potential to meet 43% of country's energy needs: Minister

Northeast has the potential to meet 43 per cent of the country's energy requirements, Union Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Solanki has said.

"Such a move is the need of the hour to overcome the country's power crisis and reduce the impact of global warming caused by carbon generating thermal plants and industries," Solanki told power developers at the 5th National Hydropower Convention held at Tawang on the Sino-India border Saturday evening.

Appreciating Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu for his foresight to tap the rich hydro power potential, Solanki said this would make the state and its people self-sufficient and self-reliant soon with massive infrastructure development and creation of huge job opportunities.

"The faster we move, the quicker we deliver the benefits to our future generation," officials quoted the minister as saying.

The minister said there is a need for basic amenities at project sites to win the trust of locals and advised setting up of industrial training institutes in the vicinity to train youths.

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Agartala to be solar city

Aiming at making the state capital a solar city, the Tripura government is preparing a report to make mandatory the use of this alternate form of energy.

"We have decided to make solar energy provision mandatory in buildings to make Agartala a solar city to keep it free from environmental pollution," Tripura Science, Technology and Environment Minister, Joy Gobinda Debroy said.

The present building rules would be changed to make use of solar energy mandatory in buildings to reduce dependence on conventional energy and make it environment friendly, he said, adding the rule would be applicable to private, government and commercial buildings.

With the Centre suggesting that North-Eastern state capitals would be among 60 cities countrywide to use solar energy, Debroy said, the state government has started preparing a detailed project report and a survey would be undertaken in Agartala in May.

The minister said, there would be relaxations in rules and tax collection to encourage the use of solar energy.

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