Page 3 - Meghalaya

SAMPRITI: Indian, Bangladesh armies commence joint military exercise

India and Bangladesh on Tuesday commenced the 11th edition of the annual joint military exercise, 'SAMPRITI-XI' in Umroi, Meghalaya, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement

India, Bangladesh kick-start 2-week military exercise in Meghalaya

India and Bangladesh began a two-week military exercise in Meghalaya's Umroi on Tuesday with an aim to share tactical drills and promote best practices in carrying out sub-conventional operations. The exercise -- "SAMPRITI-XI" -- promises to further enhance the defence cooperation between India and Bangladesh, fostering deeper bilateral relations, cultural understanding and mutual benefits from shared experiences, the defence ministry said. "This exercise, alternatingly organised by both countries, signifies strong bilateral defence cooperation initiatives. With its inception in Jorhat, Assam in 2009, the exercise has witnessed 10 successful editions till 2022," it said. Around 350 personnel from both sides are participating in the exercise. The Bangladeshi contingent comprises 170 personnel, led by Brigadier General Mohammed Mafizul Islam Rashed, Commander of 52 Bangladesh Infantry Brigade. The lead unit from the Bangladesh Army side is 27 Bangladesh Infantry Regiment. The India

Earthquake of magnitude 5.2 jolts Meghalaya, nearby states; no loss of life

An Earthquake of Magnitude 5.2 shook Meghalaya and nearby states on Monday evening, the National Centre for Seismology said. There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property. The tremor occurred at 6.15 pm in North Garo Hills district in the northeastern state at a depth of 10 km. The epicentre is around 3 km from Resubelpara, the district headquarters. The jolt was also felt in nearby states such as Assam and the northern part of West Bengal and Sikkim. "We have not received any report of loss of life or damage to property," said an official of the disaster management authority here. The northeastern states fall in the high seismic zone, and earthquakes frequently hit the region.

Fresh clash along Assam-Meghalaya interstate border, one person injured

One person was injured in a clash at a disputed area along the Assam-Meghalaya interstate border as locals from both sides used bows and arrows and catapults to attack each other, officials said on Wednesday. The incident occurred on Tuesday in the disputed place along the boundary between the Lapangap village in Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district and the Tapat area under the Hamren subdivision of West Karbi Anglong district of Assam. A person from Karbi Anglong district was injured, while no one from the Meghalaya side was seriously hurt in the incident, officials said. The situation was brought under control after police teams from both states visited the spot and placated the locals. The situation remained calm but tense on Wednesday morning as a fresh clash between the villagers from both sides was reported, an official from Meghalaya said. Some huts belonging to Khasi farmers in Lapangap were also burnt down, escalating tension in the area, a senior official of West Jain

Fresh clashes erupt along Assam-Meghalaya interstate border, none injured

A fresh clash occurred at a disputed village along the Assam-Meghalaya interstate boundary as locals from both sides used bows and arrows and catapults to attack each other, officials said on Wednesday. However, no injuries were reported in the incident that took place in Lapangap village along the boundary between Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district and Assam's West Karbi Anglong district on Tuesday. The situation was brought under control after police teams from both states visited the spot and placated the locals. The situation remained calm but tense on Wednesday morning as police forces from both states prevented villagers from congregating at the spot where the clash occurred. "We are coordinating with our counterparts in Assam's West Karbi Anglong district to keep the situation under control," a senior official of the West Jaintia Hills district said.

New Meghalaya Assembly building construction cost escalates to Rs 200 cr

The cost for constructing a new building of the Meghalaya Assembly building increased to Rs 200 with a High-Powered Committee (HPC) on Wednesday approving an escalated expenditure of Rs 60 crore for the purpose, Speaker Thomas A Sangma said. Addressing reporters, Sangma justified the escalation of price citing technical issues and increase in floor area. "The floor area has become bigger. The cost escalated is due to expansion of structural area and not due to the time required for completing the project," he said. The building is being constructed at New Shillong township near here. The project was delayed after the dome of the new assembly building collapsed in May last year. The Speaker said the project is progressing but there are some technical issues, which are unavoidable. However, the clearing of the debris (caused by the dome collapse) and the approval of the new dome design have been completed, he said. "We are hopeful that the construction of the building will be comp

Mudslide blocks tunnel in Meghalaya, traffic in NE states affected: Police

A mudslide caused by incessant rainfall blocked the Sonapur tunnel on NH 6 in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district on Saturday blocking traffic movement to Tripura, Mizoram and Assam's Barak valley, police said. The mudslide was caused by incessant rainfall in the state in the past 24 hours. Two vehicles were stuck in the mudslide, Superintendent of Police, Jagpal S Dhanoa told PTI. He said the NHAI was informed for necessary clearance and to make sure traffic on the important NH 6 connecting to three other north eastern states flow normally. Earthmovers and personnel were put to work to clear the debris and the stuck vehicles, an NHAI official said.

Meghalaya to soon announce IT policy for attracting investments: CM Sangma

The Meghalaya government will soon announce an IT policy which will benefit investors and create employment opportunities in the state, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Friday. Addressing a programme here, he said investors will be provided incentives in terms of capital investment, GST and electricity tariff, among others, under the policy. "We are on the verge of announcing the IT policy. It has taken us about a year's time, and we had elections in between. We are waiting for the final comments from the Industries Department, and within a couple of weeks, maximum of three weeks, we will roll out the IT policy," he said. Under the CM-ELEVATE program, the state government plans to provide financial support to 20,000 startups and businesses, including those in the IT sector, in the future, Sangma said. "We feel the government should provide subsidies to such industries that give direct benefit to our people in terms of employment, rather than giving benefits to large industrie

ADB approves $40.5 mn loan for Meghalaya early childhood development scheme

Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved a USD 40.5-million loan for integrated early childhood development (ECD) and maternal mental health programme in Meghalaya. The state government is contributing USD 15.27 million to the project, the multilateral funding agency said in a statement. The project will strengthen home-based childcare (children 01.5 years) and centre-based childcare (1.56 years) through daycare (Anganwadi) centres in Meghalaya, it said. The project aims to improve access to nurturing care, including a component of maternal mental healthcare and group-based parenting programmes to enable the inclusion of fathers in caregiving, it said. ADB's assistance will also improve nutrient adequacy by adding eggs to the diet of pregnant and lactating women and children aged 0.56 years, it said. As one of several climate-resilient features, the project will also help establish nutrition gardens at Anganwadi centres (AWC) for improved diet diversity and .

Meghalaya CM highlights effective law and order for economic growth

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday stressed on the importance of good law and order situation to take forward the economic and social activities in the state. Addressing the 77th Independence Day celebrations after hoisting the national flag at the Polo ground here he said that three formal peace talks between the HNLC, Government of India and the state government are making steady progress. The CM said Assam and Meghalaya are resolving the disputed interstate border and a historic Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Assam as a first step towards resolving the dispute. He said his government has set a target to make the state a 10 billion US dollar economy by 2028. "India is on the verge of becoming the world's third largest economy and growing to a size of 5 trillion US Dollar in the next five years. In resonance with that prediction, the Government of Meghalaya has set a target of making the state a 10 billion US Dollar economy by 2028, thereby doubling o

Earthquake of 5.4 magnitude jolts Meghalaya, northern parts of Bangladesh

An earthquake of 5.4 magnitude hit Meghalaya and the northern region of Bangladesh on Monday evening, officials said here. There was no immediate report of any loss of life or damage to property, they said. The earthquake took place at 8.19 pm, and the location was 49 km south-east of Cherrapunjee in Meghalaya, the National Center for Seismology said. The depth of the quake was 16 km, it said. "The epicentre was in Bangladesh, close to Dawki area of West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya," said an official of the Regional Seismological Centre here. The tremor was felt in all districts of Meghalaya and also in parts of Assam and West Bengal. "We have not received any report of loss of life or damage to property," said an official of the disaster management authority here. The northeastern states fall in the high seismic zone, and earthquakes frequently hit the region.

After launching solar projects, Meghalaya scraps thermal power plans

The Meghalaya cabinet has approved a proposal to scrap a 500 MW thermal power project after the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) expressed its interest in green energy, Power Minister AT Mondal said on Saturday. The minister said that following the cabinet clearance, an MoU signed with the company will now stand scrapped, though the government will continue to pursue the project with other interested parties in the future to bridge the huge power deficit. The NEEPCO has written to us saying that they don't want to continue with this power project and they want to scrap it, Mondal told PTI. The NEEPCO had told the Meghalaya government they will not invest in thermal projects and they projected themselves as a "green" company, a senior power department official said. On Friday, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma launched the Rs 500 crore CM Solar Mission aimed at minimising the power crisis in this northeastern hill state. "The people-centric CM Solar Mission wi

Look beyond reservation, youth of Northeast competent enough: Meghalaya CM

Young people of the Northeast should change their mindset and look beyond reservation as they are competent enough to compete with anyone in the world, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said. Sangma's statement came over two months after his government appointed an expert committee to review the state's job reservation policy, following demands by different organisations, including the Voice of the People's Party (VPP). "The indigenous community should stop expecting that there will be reservation in all aspects of life. We need to look beyond reservation and the mindset of the youth of the Northeast should be that they are competent enough to compete with anyone in the world," he said. "It is imperative that they have an identity and are proud of it, but they should not take things for granted," he added. Sangma was speaking at a programme organised on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People by the North East Indigenous People's Forum (NEIPF) in Shillong on .

Meghalaya CM Sangma seeks PM Modi's intervention for ILP implementation

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and sought his intervention for the implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the northeastern state, officials said here. Sangma, who led a delegation, also sought the inclusion of Khasi and Garo languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. "The delegation on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to the PM, seeking his intervention in addressing major concerns of the state -- ILP and inclusion of the two languages, which are spoken by the majority of the people, in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution," an official told PTI. ILP is an official travel document issued by the Centre to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected area for a limited period. Of the eight states in the northeastern region, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland are currently under the ILP regime. Sangma apprised Modi of the inadequacy of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, in ...

Reliance bags contract for Meghalaya universal health insurance scheme

Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd on Tuesday said they have been awarded the contract for the implementation of Meghalaya's health insurance for citizens. TheICL will be implementing the Megha Health Insurance Scheme and the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana phase 6. "The contract is awarded after a competitive bidding process, in whichICL emerged as the successful bidder to implement a revised MHIS 6 scheme in convergence with PMJAY, providing an insurance cover of Rs 5,30,000 for all eligible beneficiaries on a family floater basis,"ICL said in a statement here. It stated that the state government has decided to review the Health Benefits Package and other terms in the Insurance Contract of MHIS 6 and will cover over 7 lakh families in Meghalaya, providing them with comprehensive health insurance coverage that will meet their secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation, outpatient care, diagnostic tests, and follow-up care. ICL CEO Rakesh Jain said, "We are ..

Meghalaya CM calls for political parties to engage on issues in Northeast

Stressing the significance of dialogue, communication, and discussion, he expressed optimism in finding peaceful resolutions to the issues at hand

BJP functionaries among 18 arrested over attack on Meghalaya CM's office

At least 18 people, including two BJP Mahila Morcha functionaries, were arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack on chief minister's office in Tura town in western Meghalaya, which left five policemen injured, a senior officer said on Tuesday. Police have also launched a manhunt for two Trinamool Congress leaders for allegedly instigating a mob to attack the building on Monday night. The attack, resulting in arson and vandalism, took place when Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was holding a meeting with leaders of Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) and Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC), who were fasting to press for their demand to make Tura the winter capital of the northeastern state. The CM, who was inside the building, was not injured in the violence. "Eighteen people, including two women, have been arrested for vandalism and arson at the CM's office in Tura on Monday night. At least 21 vehicles were damaged. Cases were filed against the ..

Mob attacks CM's office in western Meghalaya, 5 policemen injured / PTI

At least 5 police personnel were injured when an agitated crowd attacked the chief minister's secretariat in western Meghalaya's Tura town on Monday, officials said. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was present at the office holding discussion with representatives of the Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) and the Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC) on their demand that Tura be declared the winter capital of the state, when a mob gathered outside the office and started pelting stones. The police drove away the demonstrators, using tear gas shells and a lathi charge. In the melee a few policemen were injured. Night curfew was imposed in Tura town with immediate effect. The Chief Minister also also announced Rs 50,000 as ex-gratia payment for the injured personnel and said their medical expenses will also be borne by the state government. "At least five police personnel were injured when the crowd attacked the CM's secretariat at Tura in the evening today. I

Assam, Meghalaya meet discussed 3 areas of differences amid border issue

The regional committee meeting, held at State Guest House, Koinadhora in Guwahati, featured Assam's Agriculture Minister Atul Bora and Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong

Meghalaya women's commission demands action in Manipur video incident

The Meghalaya State Commission for Women on Saturday urged the Centre and the Manipur government to take immediate action against those involved in the incident of two women being paraded naked in the ethnic strife-torn state. The commission also appealed to authorities concerned in Manipur to ensure that all victims of the ethnic clash there are given the necessary help and rehabilitation. We urge the Centre and the Manipur government to take immediate action against those involved in the horrific act of human depravity that threatens the dignity and safety of every woman and child of the nation, the commission said in a statement. The women's commission in Meghalaya also said any attack on a woman's modesty is not acceptable in a democracy. We are saddened to see this gross violation of human rights, especially of minorities and the vulnerable, it said. The incident sparked nationwide outrage, and the Manipur Police have arrested the fifth accused in connection with the video th