Page 5 - Meghalaya

Meghalaya has more schools, teachers than other NE states: CM Conrad Sangma

Meghalaya has close to 14,000 schools and over 55,000 teachers, significantly higher than other small states in the Northeast region, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Tuesday. The state incurs an annual expenditure of almost Rs 2,200 crore for these institutions, the chief minister said while addressing the centenary celebration of Jaiaw Presbyterian Higher Secondary School here. According to Sangma, the expenditure is not enough and Meghalaya needs to strive harder to be among the top-performing states in the country's education sector. He announced that an Education Commission will be set up soon to look into all aspects of improving the education sector in the state. During the function, the chief minister also announced a grant of Rs 20 lakh from the Chief Minister's Special Development Fund for expansion of the school building.

Meghalaya district imposes restrictions to tackle African Swine Fever

District administration has imposed restrictions and prohibited various activities under 144 CrPC in Meghalaya's Eastern West Khasi Hills following outbreak of ASF, officials said

Banned Garo National Liberation Army regrouping in west Meghalaya: Official

Banned Garo National Liberation Army is regrouping and trying to send young people from the western Garo Hills region of Meghalaya to Myanmar for basic guerrilla warfare training, officials said on Monday. The state administration has already taken measures to thwart such attempts and is monitoring activities of surrendered cadres of the outlawed organisation, they said. We have inputs that the GNLA is regrouping. The information is internal and actions have been taken, a senior home department official told PTI. Some youths have been recruited, and attempts have been made to send them to Myanmar to pursue basic guerrilla warfare training, he said. In a wireless message 10 days ago, a special branch deputy SP had urged officers in all police stations in Meghalaya to strengthen the intelligence network to monitor movements of former members of the outfit, he said. Monitor closely the movements and activities of surrendered/arrested cadres of the outfit, known overground ...

Meghalaya CM meets Scindia, submits proposals to set up heliports, airport

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Friday met Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in New Delhi and submitted proposals to set up heliports and an international airport in the northeastern state to boost tourism. The existing Shillong airport has a short runway, which is not feasible for landing of big aircraft, while the Baljek airport in Garo Hills district remained unutilised, an official said. Met Hon'ble Union Minister for @MoCA_GoI, Sh. @JM_Scindia ji & presented proposals to establish heliports in Shillong & Tura, to set up an international airport in Meghalaya & to operationalize the Baljek Airport. These proposals are aimed at boosting our state's tourism potential & economic growth through air connectivity, Sangma said on Twitter. Notably, the Meghalaya High Court has recently directed the state government to identify a few pockets of land for the construction of a greenfield airport as the existing facility cannot be extended to ...

Sohiong bypoll in Meghalaya over peacefully, 91% voter turnout recorded

By-election to Sohiong assembly constituency in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district was peaceful with 91 per cent of eligible voters exercising their franchise till the end of polling on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer F R Kharkongor said. No untoward incident was reported during the polling that began at 7 am, he said. "Polling was scheduled to be closed at 4 pm. However, voting continued till 7 pm in a few of the 63 polling stations as there were long queues. There was enthusiasm among electorates," the CEO told PTI. Over 91 per cent of more than 34,000 eligible voters exercised their franchise, he said. There were long queues in front of several polling stations an hour before the voting process started, he said. "No law and order issue was reported. Some issues regarding EVMs were reported in a few polling stations and those were fixed. Voting was held in a free and fair manner," he said. However, over 1,450 litres of liquor worth around Rs 4 lakh were seized during the

Over 92% of 34,783 voters cast votes in Meghalaya Assembly by-election

Over 92 per cent of the 34,783 voters cast their votes on Wednesday in the by-election to the Sohiong Assembly constituency in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district

Meghalaya Spice Trail: Food pop offers best of northeastern cuisine

An ongoing food pop-up, "Meghalaya Spice Trail", is giving a unique twist to local northeastern delicacies by transforming into gourmet delights. The 10-day festival, being held at The Pullman Hotel here, is curated by Shillong-based food connoisseur Tanisha Phanbuh. From sauted and pickled Mushrooms to 'Jadoh Risotto' (rice with meat) and 'Doh Neong' (pork in black sesame seed gravy), the special culinary treat promises to have a fair share of exotic regional dishes for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. "Being born amongst the vibrant flavours of Meghalaya, I intend to carry the essence of the Northeast and aim to spread the aroma to the metropolitan cities through these pop-ups. "It is my conscious effort to start a conversation around the delicacies of Meghalaya, and I feel that by joining hands with Pullman, New Delhi Aerocity, I can bring them to the spotlight, making it a mainstream gourmet delight for its patrons," said Phanbuh, who was among the top 20 contestants of ..

Meghalaya govt arranges flights to bring back students from Manipur

The government of Meghalaya is arranging special flights to bring back stranded students in violence-hit Manipur, said an official statement on Saturday

Maintain harmony, dispel fear, insecurity: Manipur Guv appeals to people

Amid ongoing violence in Manipur, state gov Sushri Uikey appealed to people to maintain brotherhood and dispel feeling of fear and insecurity, said an official release from governor's office

Meghalaya CM holds meeting on evacuation of students from Manipur

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday also said that he and his government are in constant touch with their students and will bring them back as soon they will get a chance

16 students from Kuki-Meitei communities over a brawl in Meghalaya

At least 16 people were arrested over a brawl between students from Kuki and Meitei communities in the Meghalaya capital, police said on Friday. They study in colleges and universities in Shillong. "A group fight took place in Nongrim Hills area of Shillong between students belonging to Kuki and Meitei communities from Manipur on Thursday night," East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtnger told PTI. Two people received minor injuries in the brawl, he said. Police quelled the fight and took 16 people in custody, the SP added, while warning people against vitiating peace in the state capital. Violence between Meiteis and tribals took place in various parts of Manipur after a rally protesting the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) tag turned violent, leading to retaliation, thus aggravating the situation.

Meghalaya govt issues helpline for their students studying in Manipur

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma called an urgent meeting on Thursday to ensure the safety of students from Meghalaya following reports of violence in Manipur.In the meeting attended by senior government officials, the CM highlighted that the safety of all students must be ensured. He also directed the officials to come up with a plan for the evacuation of students if the situation arises.Sangma said that over 200 residents of Meghalaya are studying in Manipur and that the Government is putting in place a helpline for students or family members to reach out to in case of emergencies.The Army asked people to be careful about fake videos."Fake Videos on the security situation in Manipur including a video of an attack on Assam Rifles post being circulated by inimical elements for vested interests. #IndianArmy requests all to rely on content through official & verified sources only," the Spear Corps, indian Army said in a tweet.Earlier in the day, Manipur Chief Minister N ...

Coal mining to resume in Meghalaya after 9 years, says CM Conrad Sangma

Coal mining is set to resume in Meghalaya after nine years, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Wednesday. He said the Union Ministry of Coal has provided approval for mining lease to four license applicants that would lead to the commencement of scientific mining ensuring minimal environmental impact through sustainable and legally compliant extraction procedures. "In a significant step towards initiating scientific coal mining, the Ministry of Coal had last month provided approval for mining lease to four applicants out of the 17 prospecting license applicants," Sangma told PTI. He said the mining will follow scientific procedures ensuring minimal environmental impact through sustainable and legally compliant extraction procedures. According to the chief minister, as part of scientific mining, reclamation of coal mining areas and use of advanced technologies such as remote sensing, aerial surveys and 3D modelling would be prioritised and environmental impact would be mitigated

3.5 magnitude quake hits Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills, no damage reported

An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 Richter scale struck Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills on Monday, according to National Center for Seismology (NCS).The earthquake occured at around 7:47 am, informed NCS."Earthquake of Magnitude:3.5, Occurred on 24-04-2023, 07:47:14 IST, Lat: 25.47 & Long: 90.94, Depth: 5 Km, Location: West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya," NCS said in a tweet.Earlier on Sunday, an earthquake struck Meghalaya's South Garo Hills. The magnitude of it was recorded at 3.5 on the Richter scale according to NCS.According to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at 3:33 pm (local time).In a tweet, NCS said, "Earthquake of Magnitude:3.5, Occurred on 23-04-2023, 15:33:33 IST, Lat: 25.26 & Long: 90.94, Depth: 5 Km, Location: South Garo Hills, Meghalaya."On April 16, an earthquake of magnitude 3.6 on the Richter scale hit Manipur's Bishnupur district. As per the readings from the centre, the earthquake occurred northwest of Bishnupur at 7:22 am (local time)."Earthquake of Magnitude:3.6, .

Jal Jeevan Mission facing hurdles in Meghalaya due to drying up of water

Implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in many parts of Meghalaya is facing hurdles due to drying up of water sources in the northeastern state, PHE Minister Marcuise N Marak said on Sunday. Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide potable water at every doorstep in the country by 2024. I have received reports that there are Jal Jeevan Mission projects that are already completed by the department but because of drying up of the water sources, there is no water at intake points, the minister told PTI. Protection and potential retention of water catchment areas, projects for improving water conservation, and construction of check dams for maintaining water table levels are some of the measures which can help tackle the problem, the minister said. Temperatures have risen by about six degrees Celsius in most areas in the plains while there has been a deviation of about three to four degrees Celsius in the higher altitudes affecting normal life. Marak said the State government has taken st

SC to hear plea on border pact between Meghalaya and Assam in July

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala said the plea was wrongly listed today by the Registry and will take it up for hearing in July

Meghalaya Cong starts 'Jai Bharat Satyagraha' over Rahul's disqualification

The opposition Congress in Meghalaya on Wednesday launched 'Jai Bharat Satyagraha' to protest against the disqualification of its leader Rahul Gandhi from Lok Sabha. AICC media coordinator Bobbeeta Sharma told reporters that the programme will continue till April 8. During this period, a series of street corner meetings will be organised, she said. Sharma said that the Congress would do everything to save democracy of the country, alleging that the BJP-led government at the Centre is "willing to destroy democracy". "Rahul Gandhi has been targeted because he asked PM Modi ji about the Adani group," the Congress leader said. Gandhi, representing Wayanad parliamentary constituency in Kerala, was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha, a day after his conviction in a defamation case by a court in Surat in Gujarat. The Opposition has been demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe or a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the allegations of fraud and manipulation made

Meghalaya-Assam official talks on border row to begin soon: Conrad Sangma

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday said that the official talks with Assam on the remaining six areas of border disputes will begin soon this year

Govt looking for private investors to run MCCL in PPP mode: Conrad K Sangma

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday told the Assembly that despite infusing Rs 350 crore of funds, the state's oldest cement company MCCL could not be revived forcing the government to look for private investors to run it in a PPP mode. The Mawmluh Cherra Cement Ltd (MCCL) is the oldest public sector undertaking unit and is the only state-owned cement plant set up in the early 1960s (then undivided Assam) in limestone rich Sohra but has lately suffered making it a loss-making enterprise. "Since 2006 till date, Rs 350 crore has been infused into the Mawmluh Cherra Cement Limited and in the last five years alone Rs 100 crore has been infused, mostly to pay salaries and other dues," the CM said during Question Hour. "With so much investment, we are not able to revive it. For the government to continue investing in it may not be possible," he said, adding that the PPP mode is what the government is eyeing presently. Stating that the government is pushed to "look at ...

Enemy properties: Most Pakistani assets in UP, Chinese in Meghalaya

The government is moving to monetise over 12,000 such properties across the country