Four-day night blockade call by Meghalaya organisations

Shillong, July 31 (PTI) As many as 14 social and student organisations in Meghalaya today announced a series of agitations demanding removal of the state police chief.

The organisations are alleging that DGP Anil Pradhan influenced the release of Congress leader Thomas Nongtdu who was arrested for allegedly aiding the jailbreak.

The organisations called for a road blockade on the national highways from 7 pm to 5 am on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a night public curfew on Thursday and Friday.

An administrative inquiry into the May 31 jailbreak said that the DGP had asked the police to drop the charges against Nongtdu who was arrested on the basis of a revelation by an aide of the slain mastermind of the jailbreak, Fulmoon Dhar.

READ MORE - Four-day night blockade call by Meghalaya organisations

Police foil blockade call in Meghalaya

Shillong, July 31 : Three persons were arrested as the Meghalaya Government imposed prohibitory orders to foil a two-day blockade call given by some organisations, police said here today.

Superintendent of Police Mukesh Singh told PTI that three persons were arrested last night from the 7th Mile area while they were trying to burn tyres on NH 44.

Police also recovered one bottle of petrol along with six tyres from their possession.

The road blockade in Jaintia Hills district which began last night was called by seven student and youth organisations demanding immediate and unconditional release of five leaders of Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF), who were arrested on charges of looting and ransacking shops.

Sources said vehicle tyres were burnt at different places in the district last night, even as the blockade call did not evoke much response.

The organisations alleged that the five arrested JYF leaders were being framed.

READ MORE - Police foil blockade call in Meghalaya

Cabinet rejects DGP ouster call

Shillong, July 31 : The Meghalaya cabinet today rejected the demand of social organisations to remove state director-general of police Anil Pradhan for messing up the Shillong jailbreak probe and entrusted the onus of tracing all aspects related to the case on the judicial inquiry commission.

“Since the one-man commission headed by retired judge of Gauhati High Court D. Biswas was entrusted to probe all aspects of the Shillong jailbreak, the commission is free to hold any official responsible for the problems related to the jailbreak inquiry,” chief minister D.D. Lapang told reporters after the inquiry.

Lapang said according to the opinion of the cabinet, the administrative report was inconclusive and needed more justification.

Lapang said the parallel judicial inquiry commission constituted by the government would find out the aspects related to the jailbreak and that it could also recommend the names of officials who could be removed for the shoddy inquiry into the case.

The Steering Committee against Murder of Democracy, a conglomeration of NGOs demanding a fair probe into the jailbreak issue, had earlier announced night road blockades in protest against the apathy of the government in removing Pradhan. However, after assurance from the chief minister on Sunday that the cabinet will examine the demand, they had put off the agitation.

The government on July 23 had notified the one-man judicial inquiry commission to probe the Shillong jailbreak. The commission is yet to begin the task.

Lapang had earlier assured the NGOs that action would be taken against those responsible if the administrative report on the jailbreak issue had indicted them.

The cabinet also decided to reduce the timeframe for the completion of the judicial inquiry report from six months to four months.

The NGOs decided to meet soon to take future course of action in the wake of the cabinet move.

In a related development, chief information commissioner G.P. Wahlang asked the police to provide all probe reports into the jailbreak to the Civil Society Women’s Organisation, a prominent organisation of the state.

The organisation’s president, Agnes Kharshiing, had sought information on the police probe reports under the RTI Act. However, the full reports had not been submitted to the applicant, which prompted the chief information commissioner to direct the police to provide relevant information to the applicant within a week.

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READ MORE - Cabinet rejects DGP ouster call

Minimum labour wages revised in Meghalaya

Shillong, July 30 : In a sop to the working class in Meghalaya, the state government today revised the minimum labour wages in the state.

Following submissions by various labour and trade union bodies, the state cabinet decided to enhance the wages of unskilled labour from Rs 70 to Rs 100, the wages of semi-skilled labour from Rs 75 to Rs 120 and that of skilled labour from Rs 85 to Rs 140, an official spokesman said.

The revised wages will come into effect from the date of notification.

In a bid to attract private investment in the state, the cabinet also gave nod for amendment to the 'Meghalaya Cinema Regulations Rules' for opening multiplexes in the state, particularly in state capital Shillong.

"We would like to have multiplexes with facilities like shopping centre, theatre, restaurants," Art and Culture Minister BM Lanong said.

READ MORE - Minimum labour wages revised in Meghalaya

Meghalaya creates water resources department

The new department would help the state in getting benefits from Centre sponsored schemes

Shillong: Meghalaya has created a separate water resources department, chief minister D.D. Lapang announced on Thursday.

“The new department has been created with immediate effect. It will be linked to some other departments like agriculture, power, PHE and soil conservation,” Lapang said after a Cabinet meeting.

Earlier, the Union minister of state for water resources and Shillong parliamentarian Vincent Pala had prioritized the creation of the department in order to get the maximum advantage from his ministry.

The state can now send proposals to the Centre to clean up its dead rivers, especially in the coal belts of Jaintia Hills, an official said.

The Union ministry of water resources has earmarked Rs1,000 crore for the cleaning of rivers and other sources of water.

READ MORE - Meghalaya creates water resources department

Five of a family burnt alive in their house

Shillong, July 29 (PTI) Five members of a family, including a seven-month-old baby, were burnt alive when fire gutted their house in Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district, police said here today.

The house of T Marngar at Mawkora village was completely gutted in the inferno last night killing his wife, three teenage daughters and the baby, district Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang told PTI.

Marngar, however, managed to escape and rescue another member of the family. Both of them sustained injuries.

Some bags of bags of charcoal kept in the house is being blamed for the fire

READ MORE - Five of a family burnt alive in their house

Meghalaya looks for new DGP

Shillong, July 29 : The Meghalaya government has requested Dispur to spare a senior police official to replace the state director-general of police, Anil Pradhan.

The move comes in the wake of the demand by the state’s NGOs to remove Pradhan for messing up the Shillong jailbreak inquiry.

An official source today said the state government had already written to the Assam government to propose names from among the senior police officials of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre posted in Assam for the DGP’s post.

With the Assam government today clearing the name of Sankar Barua, an IAS officer of the 1974 batch, as the next DGP of Assam, chances are that senior Assam police official Sharda Prasad from the 1973 batch will be appointed as the new DGP of Meghalaya.

READ MORE - Meghalaya looks for new DGP

Demand to free student leaders

Shillong, July 27 : The Civil Society Women’s Organisation, part of the Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy, today demanded the release of two Jaintia Youth Federation leaders who were arrested last night.

The organisation’s president, Agnes Kharshiing, said in a statement that as the students’ federation was a part of the committee demanding the removal of Meghalaya DGP Anil Pradhan, the police were targeting its leaders.

Jaintia Hills police last night arrested the federation’s president and four of its members for pelting stones at three dhabas and damaging several shops at Khliehriat.

The president of the federation’s central body, D.L. Rymbai, and East Jaintia Hills unit president M.H. Dkhar are still in police custody.

The federation said they were arrested for checking the trading licences of the shops, while the police claimed that they were arrested for taking the law into their hands.

The women’s organisation said Jaintia Hills police owed an explanation for the alleged fake encounter of Shillong jailbreak gang leader Full Moon Dhar. If the police could arrest the federation’s leaders, the government should have taken action against the police personnel involved in the encounter a long time ago, the organisation said.

It urged the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council to check the illegal traders, who are setting up business in many parts of the state. The traders allegedly pay off the headmen to get no-objection certificates.

It also requested the government to remove the police officials who took no action against the traders and asked for action against the corrupt headmen.

READ MORE - Demand to free student leaders

Cops want video conferencing in jails

Shillong jail

Shillong, July 27 : Meghalaya police are keen to introduce video-conferencing facilities for prisoners instead of presenting them before magistrates or police for interrogation.

Meghalaya director-general of police (prisons) Kulbir Krishan told The Telegraph that a proposal was submitted to the Union home ministry during a recent meeting with the officials in Delhi.

Explaining the need for the video conferencing, Krishan said the undertrial prisoners were often taken out and produced before the courts.

“But if we have the video conferencing facilities in the jails, the prisoners need not be taken out. They can remain in a special room with video conferencing facilities to answer the queries of the magistrates,” he said.

“This has been introduced in some of the prisons in Mumbai and I am not aware if this system has been set up in the Northeast,” he added.

“We are proposing to set up the video-conferencing facilities at the Shillong and Tura jails and the cost for the facilities will likely be around Rs 1 crore,” he said.

Under the current system, the prisoners are taken out in special vehicles under tight security to be produced before court every now and then.

Several policemen travel with the undertrial prisoners when they are taken out.

“By introducing video conferencing in the jails, there is no security risk involved, compared to the routine of taking them out of the jails very often. Moreover, this will save time and the security personnel need not be involved,” Krishan said.

The controversial mix-up case involving two undertrial prisoners, Rusith Sangma and Deepcharan Kaipang, is an example of the laxity on the part of security personnel, which led to Kaipang’s escape and his subsequent replacement with Sangma.

Kaipang, an accused in a murder case, probably escaped after he was taken out of Shillong jail and Sangma was substituted in his place some time in 1994.

The CBI probed the case and found 10 officials, including a few from the Shillong jail, responsible for the mix-up.

The jail officials feel that the safety of the prisoners will be ensured when the video conferencing facilities are introduced.

The proposal for video conferencing and other modern facilities was necessitated following the Shillong jailbreak on May 31.

READ MORE - Cops want video conferencing in jails

Legal forum of Meghalaya on the Good Samaritan job

Shillong | July 27 : A legal organisation in Meghalaya has begun its proposed Good Samaritan task for helpless prisoners.
Meghalaya jail authorities are compiling the list of Under Trial Prisoners (UTPs) to facilitate the Meghalaya Legal Aid Forum (MLAF) to extend the legal services to those prisoners who cannot afford to obtain bail due to financial constraints.
As per the understanding arrived by the MLAF functionaries with the Director General of Prisons, Kulbir Kishen, jail authorities have started the initial process before finalising the names of inmates by the first week of August. There are hard-core criminals lodged in the four different jails in the state but 70%-75% of the prisoners continue to languish in prisons due to their inability to afford lawyers. This has resulted in overstaying of inmates and congestion in jails.
Chairperson of MLAF, Fennela Lyngdoh Nonglait met the DG prisons and offered the Forum’s legal services to the inmates. The functionary of MLAF Rebinna Subbah said the DG has accepted the offer. However, the first target of the MLAF is the overcrowded Shillong district jail, which houses more than 300 odd prisoners against its capacity of 135. Subbah said that after Shillong, the forum will move to other jails in the state.
The DG (Prisons) could not be contacted but a senior functionary in the Prisons department said, “This is the step that the prison department has been waiting”. “Legal aid to the UTPs will not only help petty criminals who are overstaying in jails due to financial constraints to hire a lawyer but it will also greatly help in proper management of the jails”, stated a jail authority on condition of anonymity.

READ MORE - Legal forum of Meghalaya on the Good Samaritan job

Meghalaya blockade

Vox populi

Shillong, July 25: The Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy (SCAMoD) today rejected the appeal of the East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner B. Dhar to call off its proposed night blockade of roads from Monday.

The committee, a conglomeration of NGOs demanding the removal of Meghalaya DGP Anil Pradhan in connection with the Shillong jailbreak, has announced the two-day blockade from Monday in the districts of East and West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri Bhoi.

The three-day deadline expired on Thursday. The NGOs are protesting against the state government’s apathy to the demand to remove Pradhan for his involvement in letting off the Congress politician Thomas Nongtdu, an accused in the jailbreak episode.

An administrative inquiry of the state home department had indicted Pradhan for his role in releasing Nongtdu.

After the meeting with the deputy commissioner, SCAMoD spokesman J. Lyngdoh and KSU president Samuel Jyrwa said the NGOs had decided to go ahead with the proposed agitation.

The deputy commissioner apprised the team of NGOs that in view of the model code of conduct after the bypoll to Laitumkhrah was announced, it would not be proper to resort to any agitation.

“But we have made it clear that we are not against the law but the breakdown of law due to the interference of Pradhan who had effected the release of the accused,” Jyrwa said. The agitation will be called off only if the government removes Pradhan, he added.

The deputy commissioner last night imposed Section 144 CrPC prohibiting the road blockade.

The NGOs had called the road blockade from 7.30pm on Monday to 5am the next day and again from 7.30pm on Tuesday to 5am the next day.

READ MORE - Meghalaya blockade

Meghalaya bans use of mobile phone while driving

Shillong, July 23 (PTI) Meghalaya government has banned the use of mobile phone, both hand-held or hands-free ones, while driving.

An order issued by the Commissioner of Transport said sending or receiving calls, messages, playing games, listening to music, taking photos or making videos while driving had been banned.

Using cell phones even when the vehicle was stationary or caught up in a traffic jam will also not be allowed.

A penalty of Rs 500 would be imposed for the first offence and up to Rs 5,000 fine for the second or subsequent offences will be slapped on the repeated offender.

The licensing authority can also disqualify a person from holding a driving license or revoke it.

READ MORE - Meghalaya bans use of mobile phone while driving

Lapang orders judicial probe into jailbreak incident

Shillong, July 24 : Under pressure from various social and student organisations, Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang today ordered a judicial probe into the controversial jailbreak incident of May 31 in which seven undertrials fled from Shillong jail.

Of them, one was shot dead and the others captured later by the police.

Lapang's move came on a day when as many as fourteen social and student organisations announced a two-day night road blockade from Monday demanding removal of Director General of Police Anil Pradhan alleging that it was on the DGP's instance that the police released Congress leader Thomas Nongtdu a day after arresting him in connection with the jailbreak.

The organisations, under the banner of Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy, said if the DGP was not removed, they would intensify their agitation.

The blockade would be enforced from 7.30 pm to 5 am on Monday and Tuesday.

READ MORE - Lapang orders judicial probe into jailbreak incident

Gauhati HC quashes Nongtdu's petition

Shillong, July 22 (PTI) The Gauhati High Court today dismissed a petition by Congress leader Thomas Nongtdu, accused of funding the controversial May 31 jailbreak, challenging reopening of the criminal case against him.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice T Vaiphei said there was no merit in the petition which questioned legality of the order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, who first discharged the petitioner but ordered reopening of the case on a plea by the investigating officer (IO) 14 days later.

After the old IO was replaced, the new IO sought to add more charges against Nongtdu and the CJM rightly granted permission to re-open the case, the Bench said.

Nongtdu, a nominated member of Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, was arrested on June 3 on charge of helping a jailbreak mastermind and convict Foolmoon Dhar.

READ MORE - Gauhati HC quashes Nongtdu's petition

Byelection, meltdown to stall hike

Shillong, July 22 : The model code of conduct which came into effect from July 16 for Laitumkhrah byelection coupled with the financial crisis may delay the early implementation of the Fourth Pay Commission for Meghalaya employees.

After a recent meeting of the state cabinet, chief minister D.D. Lapang said the state government would ask for a one-time grant of Rs 562 crore from the Prime Minister to implement the Fourth Pay Commission recommendations from this year.

Though Lapang has been camping in Delhi along with his deputy Mukul Sangma and other state officials for the past week to meet Manmohan Singh and submit the memorandum regarding more funds for the pay hike, no such meeting took place.

The Meghalaya employees wanted the implementation of the Fourth Pay Commission by July 31, but that could prove a far-fetched dream.

The model code of conduct, which has come into effect from July 16 because of the byelection, an official source said, would delay the announcement of the pay package even if the Centre approves the Meghalaya government’s demand.

After the Fourth Pay Commission submitted its recommendations at the end of last year, the state government had constituted an empowered committee to examine the percentage of the pay hike to be given to the government employees. Meghalaya, the committee figured out, needed more than Rs 500 crore a year to fully implement the recommendations of the pay panel.

The state government had only given an interim relief of 10 per cent of basic pay including dearness allowance subject to the minimum of Rs 400 per month from December last year to the government employees after receiving the report of the pay panel.

READ MORE - Byelection, meltdown to stall hike

Rare lotus species facing extinction in Meghalaya

SHILLONG, July 20 – A rare species of India’s national flower lotus, not found anywhere else in the world, but at a small pond near Smit in Meghalaya is facing extinction in the absence of government intervention.

Nymphaea Tertragonolobes, the rare and delicate lotus specie is found only in a small pond owned by a private individual at Smit some 10 kms from the State capital and nowhere else in the world.

There are just four to five of these rare plants in the pond and these may disappear forever unless the government take steps, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Vice Chancellor and a renowned botanist Pramod Tandon informed.

A team of research scholars from NEHU’s Botany department first stumbled upon this rare Lotus variety during their study in 1985.

During those years about 15 to 20 plants would bloom each summer. However, with every passing year the size of the pond has reduced due to neglect and encroachment squeezing this rare plant’s habitat.

An individual has bought the area and is trying to save this rare specie, but if the government does not intervene in its conservation it is unlikely to survive for long, Tandon observed.

Although botanists did try to culture the plant in the laboratory but it did not yield satisfactory results. Nymphaea Tertragonolobes is very delicate and is susceptible to diseases and so the experiment to culture it in the laboratory was not successful, the Vice Chancellor said.

The only alternative is for the government to intervene and save this flower by increasing its habitat and the Forest department must carry out research work to save such endangered plant species, Tandon stated.

Tandon said he was aware that the North Eastern Council sometimes back sanctioned funds to the Forest department to set up a plant tissue culture laboratory. “I don’t know if the lab was ever set up”, he added.

Meanwhile, NEHU has successfully micro-propagated (to propagate plants through modern plant tissue culture) two endangered plant species the Nepenthes Khasiana the carnivorous Pitcher plant found in Meghalaya and Mantesia Wengeri the State flower of Mizoram with 100 per cent success, Tandon added.

READ MORE - Rare lotus species facing extinction in Meghalaya

Nepalese given 15 days deadline to quit Meghalaya

SHILLONG, JUL 21 : Tribal Khasi-Garo villagers of the disputed Langpih area on the Assam-Meghalaya border today gave 15 days to the Nepalese community to quit the disputed village or face dire consequences. ‘’We have decided to give 15 days time with the quit notice to the Nepalese population since they would need sufficient time to pack up and leave our homeland permanently,’’ Synjuk ki Nongsynshar Shnong (SNS) chief T Nonglang said.

Last week, the SNS served the quit notice to hundreds of the Nepalese community residing in the disputed area after they allegedly forcefully encroached tribal lands with the support of the Assam government. Several other pressure groups have also extended support to the SNS for issuing the same. The quit notices were served to the Nepalese community for the ‘’harassment of tribal Khasi people’’ in the area, the villagers added.

‘’If they fail to move within the priod, we will have no option, but to use force in order to remove them from our area,’’ Mr Nonglang said.

Blaming the Nepalese community for forcing the local indigenous population to issue ‘quit notices’ against them, the SNS chief alleged the community was forcefully intruding into tribal areas by claiming the ownership of the land.

Local villagers alleged the Assam government had been trying to disrupt the peace and tranquility in Langpih area by supporting Nepalese nationals with the aim to claim illegally 108 Garo-Khasi villages, which fall under Nongstoin Assembly constituency of Meghalaya.

A clash had erupted last month between the tribal Khasi-Garo people and the Nepalese after the latter allegedly encroaching the area.

Following the clash, Meghalaya Chief Minister DD Lapang had spoken to his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi, urging him to ensure peace and tranquility in the disputed area.

Both the Chief Ministers were expected to meet soon to settle the border dispute between the two neighbouring states. Meghalaya has 12 areas of difference with Assam.

READ MORE - Nepalese given 15 days deadline to quit Meghalaya

Shillong girl rescued

Shillong, July 19 : Karnataka police have rescued a Shillong girl who was “abducted” by a man she befriended over months of Internet chatting, Meghalaya police said today.

Born to a Khasi mother and a non-tribal father, the 22-year-old college student travelled all the way to Bangalore to meet Sameer Gafoor in person, only to realise that she had been “abducted” by him.

Meghalaya police sources today said the Karnataka police rescued the college student from a place 300km away from the Karnataka capital. Further details on how she was rescued were awaited, they added.

The Karnataka police informed the East Khasi Hills superintendent of police, L.B. Rapthap, last evening that the girl had been rescued.

Agnes Kharshiing, the president of Civil Society Women’s Organisation here, who has been following the case, said Shenaz Rymbai, the girl’s mother, was likely to go to Bangalore to bring the girl back.

“The East Khasi Hills SP asked me to inform Shenaz about her daughter. I have told her,” Agnes said.

The Karnataka police told the East Khasi Hills SP that Gafoor had “married” the girl a week back though it is not known whether the marriage was consensual.

The police said Gafoor, who is afflicted by polio, was an autorickshaw driver though the latter had told the girl that he was running some big business establishment in Bangalore.

Gafoor and his friends initially demanded Rs 5 lakh for the release of the girl and made repeated phone calls to her mother in Shillong fro the money.

Gafoor told the Karnataka police that the call for ransom was made by one of his friends.

Shenaz had filed an FIR with the Nongmynsong police outpost here on the night of June 29 after her daughter did not return home from Umshyrpi College.

She said that her daughter and Gafoor had been chatting online for several months. He had apparently insisted that the girl should come to the Karnataka capital to meet him by end-June.

On June 29, the girl boarded a Guwahati-Bangalore flight with Rs 15,000. She was received at the airport by Gafoor and his relatives. They asked her to wear a burqa and speak in Hindi.

When her mother called on her mobile phone, a man who did not identify himself demanded Rs 5 lakh to release the girl unharmed.

A relative of the Rymbai family was sent to Bangalore and co-ordinated with the Karnataka police to track down Gafoor and his relatives.

READ MORE - Shillong girl rescued

Meghalaya groups reject probe report on jailbreak

Shillong: Several social and student organisations of Meghalaya on Friday rejected the inquiry report into the May 31 jailbreak, saying the probe was influenced by police and the government.

The Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy, a conglomeration of 14 organisations, rejected the inquiry report and demanded removal of DGP Anil Pradhan alleging he influenced the findings.

An inquiry into the arrest of a Congress leader following a controversial jailbreak in Shillong failed to determine any nexus between politician and criminals even as it blamed lack of well-planned and professional approach on the part of Meghalaya police to handle the case.

The inquiry, conducted by Principle Secretary (Home) Barkos Warjri into the arrest of the Congress leader, Thomas Nongtdu, and his unconditional release a day later, also pointed at "panic reactions" from police coupled with "media provocation" in the sensitive case.

Chief Minister DD Lapang had ordered the inquiry after organisations protested the release of Nongtdu, who was arrested on basis of a revelation from an aide of a slain hardcore criminal that he sponsored the May 31 jailbreak.

Addressing the media today, Khasi Students Union (KSU) president Samuel Jyrwa alleged that the DGP influenced his subordinates while preparing the report as he wanted to safeguard his political masters.

READ MORE - Meghalaya groups reject probe report on jailbreak

Meghalaya prevents Assam's encroachment bid

Shillong, July 17 (PTI) Meghalaya government today claimed to have prevented an alleged encroachment bid by Assam in its territory even as tension brewed in the disputed Langpih area where village headmen served quit notices to illegal settlers.

District officials of West Khasi Hills yesterday prevented an incursion of Assam government in the state at Rangsapara near Lejadubi in Aradonga area.

According to official sources, Assam Government had put up some pillars inside Meghalaya while constructing a guest house of the Forest department.

A Meghalaya government team led-by a Magistrate rushed to the area and stopped construction work after locals informed them that some pillars have been erected in the region.

Meanwhile, leaders of Village Administrator Organisation, Langpih Circle, including headmen of 24 villages, issued quit notices to some Nepali migrants who have settled in the region illegally.

READ MORE - Meghalaya prevents Assam's encroachment bid

Meghalaya Assembly building to be a blend of old and new

SHILLONG, July 17 : The new Meghalaya Legislative building will be a blend of old and new. With ultra-modern facilities, the envisaged complex will have state-of-the-art facilities with its old grandeur.

Informing this to newsmen, Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker Charles Pyngrope said that all efforts would be made to ensure that the new Assembly complex be an architectural wonder. The Speaker also stated that architects from Mumbai would be assigned the job to construct the building as currently they were the best in terms of ‘understanding space constraints’.

The complex will now house adequate rooms to accommodate 18 odd committees so as to provide them with needed facilities to carry out their regular business, especially when the House is not in session. He remarked this will be of great help to various committees in effectively discharging their duties while Public Accounts Committee and Committee on Public Undertaking will be able to effectively monitor the functioning of the executive.

The Speaker also said that as agreed and decided by previous speakers, the work will go to contractor C Pala. He expressed the hope that if construction starts this year, the Budget Session 2012 could be held in the new complex. Pyngrope also said that the new complex would have water harvesting facility to cater to the needs of the Assembly. Minimal use of light during daytime will be one of the features of the proposed complex. He also stated that the new Assembly will house a well-equipped media centre with State-of-the-art facilities backed by high-speed WIFY services to enable mediapersons to discharge their duties in a more professional manner.

The Speaker also stated it is up to the government now to decide on the allotment of land even as his office has formally written to the government with survey details of the two proposed sites — namely the old site and Taraghar located opposite the Pristine Wards Lake. The old site is only of two acres, but the complex will need six acres. This is to be mentioned that Meghalaya is without a permanent Assembly building since the massive inferno had gutted the old heritage structure located in the heart of Shillong

READ MORE - Meghalaya Assembly building to be a blend of old and new

Responsibility has taught me time management: Agatha

SHILLONG, July 13 – The responsibility that comes with being a Union Minister, Agatha Sangma learnt, is cutting short the time spent before the mirror each morning.

Every time journalists ask me what I have learnt after becoming a Union Minister and I say: time-management, the youngest Minister in the UPA Government said confidently.

Dressed in a golden coloured Khasi traditional outfit and jewellery, the petite Minister said during a felicitation programme held in her honour: “I used to spend hours deciding on the right kind of outfit to wear before stepping out of the house. It was a wastage of time.”

Agatha said as a Union Minister of State for Rural Development she has immense workload and, therefore, wants to spend her time constructively.

“I no longer waste time in deciding what kind of outfit I should wear and that is one of the aspects of my time management efforts,” she said proudly with her father PA Sangma, brothers James and Conrad keenly lending ears together with a rapt audience at the State Central Library on Saturday.

She added that Before becoming a Union Minister and pledging to serve a nation of billion people, she was invisible.

“I was able to do many things the way I wanted to but not anymore,” she grimaced.

Agatha turned 29 this month and holds Masters Degree in Environmental Management and Diploma in Law and is a keen photographer.

She is one of the two daughters of Purno A Sangma. Agatha retained the Tura Lok Sabha seat on a NCP ticket this year.

Her father, an avid fan of murder mystery novels, named his two daughters Agatha and Christie after the famous authoress.

READ MORE - Responsibility has taught me time management: Agatha

Lapang plans funds trip

Shillong, July 9: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang will leave for Delhi on Tuesday to seek funds for the implementation of the recommendation of the Fourth Pay Commission.

Accompanied by senior cabinet colleagues, Lapang will also ask for central funds worth several crore for upgrade of the Umroi airport, construction of railway lines and improvement of healthcare in Meghalaya.

After a meeting with senior cabinet ministers and officials, Lapang today told the media that the state government would ask for a one-time grant of Rs 562 crore to implement the recommendation of the fourth pay panel from this year.

The Fourth Pay Commission submitted the report to the government at the end of last year.

This year an empowered committee was formed to examine the percentage of pay hike according to the pay panel’s report.

According to the committee, at least Rs 500 crore a year is needed for full implementation of the recommendation of the pay commission.

After receiving the recommendations of the pay panel, the state cabinet decided to provide interim relief of 10 per cent of basic pay, including dearness allowance, subject to the minimum of Rs 400 per month with effect from December last year, to all government employees.

The financial burden of the state for the interim relief is Rs 7.7 crore per month.

Lapang said that the government hoped to implement the pay commission recommendation once the Centre sanctions Rs 562 crore.

“If possible, we will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urge him to provide funds so that the government employees in the state can get the pay hike this year itself,” Lapang said.

The memorandum, to be submitted to the Prime Minster, will also include a request for Rs 240 crore for the expansion of the runway of the Umroi air port.

At present only a 50-seater aircraft can land at the airport as the runway is small.

The state government wanted to expand the runway by acquiring more land so that big aircraft could also land at the airport, the chief minister explained.

READ MORE - Lapang plans funds trip

Lapang juggles ministry

Shillong, July 8: Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang last night effected a reshuffle in his ministry in a move to appease the Congress ministers who were not allocated important portfolios.

Sources today said the reshuffle was done as per a directive from the AICC general secretary in-charge Northeast, Luizinho Faleiro, who was here on Monday.

While Lapang parted with his PHE portfolio and allocated it to Congress minister Prestone Tynsong, another portfolio, that of co-operation, also held by the chief minister, was allotted to KHNAM minister Paul Lyngdoh. Lapang will continue to hold the home, industries, planning and implementation portfolios.

The PWD (roads) portfolio, earlier held by Tynsong, went to Congress minister Martin M. Danggo. Tynsong retained district council affairs, general administration department and revenue.

Danggo retained the community and rural development, veterinary and animal husbandry and parliamentary affairs portfolios.

Lyngdoh retained urban affairs, municipal affairs, civil defence and home guards and home (jail). But the excise portfolio, earlier held by him, went to Independent Limison Sangma, who was relieved of his independent charge of elementary and mass education.

READ MORE - Lapang juggles ministry

Rail project hits land hurdle

Shillong, July 9 : Rail connectivity in Meghalaya is still a far cry with the proposed railway line linking Byrnihat in the state to Azara in Assam hitting a stumbling block.

State chief secretary Ranjan Chatterjee told reporters today after a meeting with the officials of the North East Frontier Railway here that the 24km proposed railway line from Azara (12km in Assam) to Byrnihat (12km in Ri Bhoi) had hit hurdles due to land acquisition problems in Assam.

As far as the proposed railway line is concerned, the objections from the people of Assam living near Azara is that they will lose their paddy fields once the line is constructed.

According to Chatterjee, the people of Assam have also expressed concern over the possible dismantling of several houses in the area.

“After the meeting with the railway officials, Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang met senior officials and even suggested that the matter be taken up with his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi so that the pending problem can be resolved.

Chatterjee said the survey work along the 12km area in Byrnihat had been completed and the total cost of the project on the Meghalaya side alone was Rs 547 crore.

“Though Meghalaya is ready for construction of the railway line in the area, we have not made any headway even for a survey on the Assam side,” Chatterjee said.

He also added that once the railway line was constructed at Byrnihat, efforts would be made to extend it to Nongpoh.

The second project that Meghalaya is looking at is the 19km railway line from Dudhnoi in Assam to Mendipather connecting East Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

The project cost of the railway line is estimated at Rs 82 crore and it will cover 10km in Assam and 9km in Meghalaya.

Though Assam has no objection to this project sanctioned in 1996, the survey work on both sides is yet to take place.

“We will ask the East Garo Hills district administration to begin the land acquisition process at the earliest,” Chatterjee said.

He hoped that both these rail projects could be completed within four years after the start of the construction work.

The chief secretary also said another project at the estimated cost of Rs 1,600 crore to connect all the border areas of Meghalaya was submitted to the Union railway ministry last year by the Northeast Frontier Railway.

The proposed railway project aims to connect Jogighopa in Goalpara to Dawki-Shella in Meghalaya and the line can be extended to Badarpur in Silchar. The project will also connect areas in Baghmara (South Garo Hills).

“The intention of having this railway line is to connect all the plains belt falling under the Indo-Bangladesh border,” Chatterjee said.

Meghalaya does not have any rail connectivity and in the latter part of 1980s, some social organisations had opposed railway projects saying it would lead to influx.

READ MORE - Rail project hits land hurdle

Meghalaya boulders on demand in Bangladesh

SHILLONG, July 8 : The demand for stone boulders has risen in Bangladesh in the last few months. Over the years, coal was the most sought-after mineral from Meghalaya for Bangladesh.

Meghalaya International Exporters’ Chamber of Commerce (MIECC) secretary Dolly Khonglah told this correspondent about the growing export of stone boulders. "Each day, we export 30 odd trucks of boulders from Tamabil export point," said Khonglah. She said that the exports of boulders came in the wake of Bangladesh Government’s restrictions on its citizens to use mechanized machines to extract boulders from river tips along the international border. Huge boulders and sand from the hinterland of Meghalaya flows to Bangladesh and they are mechanically extracted by Bangladeshis from the river’s entry point into Bangladesh.

"The ban has compounded the problem of small-scale industries that have been providing the products for construction works in Bangladesh," stated a Bangladeshi businessman involved in boulder importing business at the zero line. Meanwhile, exporters of stone boulders from Meghalaya are aggrieved, especially when they have to pay an additional amount to the Forest Department as well as the 12 per cent VAT for the export. "We are paying royalty for every LC acquired for exporting coal," stated Khonglah, adding, "This unwarranted taxation by the State Government does not commensurate with directive of the Union Ministry of Commerce". Already the MEICC has decided to write to the Centre for its intervention. Meanwhile, coal exports from Tamabil came to a grinding halt since July 1 SOURCE: THE SENTINEL

READ MORE - Meghalaya boulders on demand in Bangladesh

GKPF accuses Assam of disrupting peace and harmony

Shillong, Urging the Meghalaya government to iron-out the Langpih dispute, the Garo-Khasi People’s Forum (GKPF) today accused the Assam government of disrupting peace and tranquility in Langpih area, a disputed territory between Meghalaya and Assam.
”The Assam government has been trying all means and way to disrupt the peace and tranquility in Langpih area by pushing Nepalese nationals with the main aim of illegally claiming 108 Garo-Khasi villages, which fall under Nongstoin Assembly constituency in Meghalaya,” GKPF president N K Lyngdoh told reporters here.
He said the GKPF also opposed the inclusion of the 108 villages under proposed Rabha Hasong Autonomous District Council, which they claimed to fall under West Khasi Hills district and fall under the looked out of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.
The GKPF which submitted a memorandum submitted to Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang had demanded from the state government for setting up of police outpost to protect the indigenous people residing in those areas.
”We have aired our grievances, how the Assam government sent its police personnel to Langpih and harassing the local indigenous people and protecting the Nepalese nationals who are creating terror,” Mr Lyngdoh said.
He said the Meghalaya government should re-install the Langpih Border Outpost, upgrading the Aradonga Police Outpost and Kyrshai Border Outpost into a regular police station, besides regularizing the Lejadubi Border Outpost and installation of Border Outpost at Mallangkona.
Mr Lyngdoh also urged the Meghalaya government to implement all developmental schemes which includes rural electrification, drinking water, setting up of schools and agricultural schemes and providing road connectivity in the area.
This apart, the GKPF also demanded restoration of original polling booths of Langpih, Hakumari and Kampholduli polling stations at their original places.
Late last year, the Chief Secretary level meeting of both the states had agreed in principle to maintain status-quo and that the border dispute should be solved within the ambit of the Indian constitutions.
In 1985, the Assam and Meghalaya governments entrusted Justice YV Chandrachud to head the Committee of experts for opinion on the constitutional aspects of the boundary demarcation between the two neighbouring states.
Assam claimed Langpih based on the recommendations of Justice YV Chandrachud committee report. However Meghalaya has rejected the committee’s report.
Meghalaya has 12 areas of difference with Assam.

READ MORE - GKPF accuses Assam of disrupting peace and harmony

Shillong girl missing

SHILLONG/BANGALORE: A 22-year-old girl from Meghalaya has gone missing after she had left for Bangalore to meet a man she met online.


On Monday, the girl's family claimed they received a ransom call demanding Rs 5 lakh.

According to the girl's mother Shenaz, Sahana Rymbai of Nongmyngsong went missing on June 29, immediately after reaching Bangalore from Guwahati to meet her online male friend, who had introduced himself as Samir Gafur.

Despite repeated calls by her mother to Sahana's number, she remained incommunicado for two days. Later, she briefly came online to inform her mother that she was with Samir. When her mother called again on her daughter's number, an anonymous person demanded Rs 5 lakh for her release.

"While the male voice initially asked Sahana's family to deposit Rs 5 lakh in an account of Karnataka Grameena Bank, they were later asked to come to BIA," said Agnes Kharshiing, president of Civil Society Women's Organization.

Samir, while chatting with Sahana, had claimed to run several businesses in Bangalore and had invited her to the city, a police official investigating the case said.

Meghalaya police are coordinating with their Bangalore counterparts to trace the missing girl. "We don't have complete information. Once they come here, we will cooperate with them to trace the girl," a senior police official said.

READ MORE - Shillong girl missing

Meghalaya gears up to address border dispute with Assam

Shillong | July 7 : Meghalaya has started doing its 'homework' by asking the different departments to furnish all documents related to the areas of dispute with Assam.
At least two or three departments, home-land records and rev enue were instructed to furnish all the documents to the chief minister's office before the chief ministerial level talks between Meghalaya's D.D Lapang and Assam'sTarun Gogoi.
The tentative date of the meeting has not been listed, but Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang told newsmen that he will propose to his counterpart some times after his return from New Delhi. Lapang while emphasizing about the importance to solve the bilateral issue of border dispute amicably, also said that he had the relevant papers and maps from the department concern in order to help him push his claim over the land that Assam is also claiming.
“We have to do proper homework and besides the government documents and maps, the local population land documents has also been sought to justify the same”, stated Lapang in the sidelines of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) executive meeting in Shillong.
However, the proposed Chief Ministerial meeting is expected to give more focus to Langpih, the disputed area located in the fringes of West Khasi Hills of Meghalaya and Kamrup district of Assam.
It is worth noting that there are 12 areas of differences between Assam and Meghalaya. Hoping that the issue can be solved amicably by the governments of the two states, Lapang also felt that there is no need to seek the centre’s intervention at this juncture. “We can apprise the centre about the problems between the two states but there is a room for an amicable solution”, concluded the Meghalaya chief minister.
It may be mentioned that the Assam minister in-charge of health and government spokesman Hemanta Biswa Sarma had on record said that with both states being run by the Congress led governments the process to solve the inter-state boundary dispute will be far easier.

READ MORE - Meghalaya gears up to address border dispute with Assam

Missing girl's family says they got ransom call

Shillong , July 6 : The family of a 22-year-old girl from Meghalaya who went missing after she left for Bangalore to meet a man she met online, today claimed they have received a ransom call demanding Rs five lakh.
Sahana Rymbai of Nongmyngsong went missing on June 29 shortly after reaching Bangalore from Guwahati to meet her online male friend, who had introduced himself as Samir Gafur, her mother Shenaz said.

Despite repeated calls by her mother to Sahana&aposs number, she remained incommunicado for two days.

Later she briefly came on line to inform her mother that she was with Samir. When her mother called again on her daughter&aposs number, an anonymous person demanded Rs five lakh for her&aposrelease', Shenaz claimed.

" While the male voice initially asked Sahana&aposs family to deposit Rs 5 lakh in an account of Karnataka Bank (Gramin), they were later asked to come to the Bangalore airport," President of Civil Society Women&aposs Organisation Agnes Kharshiing said quoting Shenaz.

Samir, while chatting with Sahana, had claimed to run several businesses in Bangalore and invited her to the city, a police official investigating the case said.

READ MORE - Missing girl's family says they got ransom call

BJP drive to recruit members post-Hek

Shillong, July 6 : The Meghalaya unit of the BJP has begun an extensive membership drive at the grassroots level to strengthen its organisation base in the state as the party is concerned over the move of its lone legislator A.L. Hek to join the Congress.

Though the party denies that the membership drive is because of Hek’s sudden decision to join the Congress, the fact is that once the BJP leader officially joins the Congress, many of his followers from his Pynthorumkhrah constituency will leave the party along with him.

This may also have an impact in other constituencies where the BJP has its presence.

A BJP leader today said Hek leaving the party would not have any negative impact, as it is a cadre-based body and not based on personalities.

He also said Hek was yet to send any official communication to the party stating he was leaving.

Hek had contested and won three times since 1998 on a BJP ticket from Pynthorumkhrah constituency.

The BJP in the past had significant presence in the state, but gradually its support base eroded. In the 1998 Assembly elections, the BJP had three legislators — T.H. Rangad (Laban), Hek (Pynthorumkhrah) and N.N. Simchang (Dalu in West Garo Hills). In the 2003 elections, Simchang could not retain the Dalu seat and in July 4 2003, after the death of BJP legislator Rangad, his wife Jopsimon Phanbuh contested and won the Laban seat for the party. Hek also retained Pynthorumkhrah seat.

In the 2008 Assembly elections, the BJP could get only one seat after Hek won again from Pynthorumkharh and the BJP failed to retain the Laban seat.

Hek had served as a minister for short periods in the previous NCP-UPD-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government till March this year and also under the combination of the UDP-NCP in 2000.

Hek considered that while supporting the Congress, he has a better chance to win the seat in the 2013 elections. In a statement issued here, the state secretary-in-charge of organisation of the BJP, Dipayan Chakroborty, said the party’s primary membership which is for six years ended last year but it was decided to start the renewal of the memberships besides having new members for the year 2009 to 2014.

“After the completion of the membership drive that started yesterday and the local and block organisational elections, the party will have the election of the state president sometime in November,” Chakroborty said.

The party has urged all its members to renew their membership and also to give special attention for enrolling more youths and women in the respective blocks to rejuvenate the party.

“The BJP has already amended its constitution by giving 33 per cent reservation for women in its organisation,” he added.

READ MORE - BJP drive to recruit members post-Hek

Meghalaya jail staff transferred

Shillong, July 6 : The Meghalaya jail department has transferred at least 85 jail officials to different parts of the state to improve administration after the recent jailbreak in Shillong.

More than 35 officers were transferred from Shillong jail alone.

“We have transferred the officials a few days ago, according to the rule that no official can be posted in one jail for more than three years,” a senior jail department official said today.

The official said the department records revealed that many officials had not been transferred for more than 32 years.

“This goes against the rules and has resulted in the total collapse of jail administration,” he said.

The official added that on some occasions, even after the transfers, the officials did not move out from the place of posting and were even supported by the higher-ups to stay put in Shillong.

According to the official, many jail staff did not want to go to Garo Hills and wanted to continue in Shillong, violating the rules of the jail manual.

After the recent Shillong jailbreak, in which seven undertrial prisoners escaped, it was found that the main reason for the lapse was the collusion of some jail staff with the prisoners.

The leader of the gang, Full Moon Dhar, was killed and the six others recaptured.

The nexus between some of the jail staff and prisoners was proved after magisterial and departmental inquiries into the episode.

After these inquiries, more than 10 jail staff were either suspended or arrested for their involvement in the conspiracy.

Superintendent of Shillong jail Paize Warjri and jailer Denis Warkhyllew were suspended for negligence of duty during the jailbreak.

Six jail employees, Edward Wahlang, Raju Sunar, Sajan Kumar Rai, Tobias Dkhar, Bharat Singh and W. Myrboh were suspended while the services of a cook were terminated.

Home (jail) minister Paul Lyngdoh recently said the seven undertrial prisoners could walk out of the jail because they had the support of the jail staff.

“Some jail staff who were not transferred for long had developed friendship with the prisoners and this has resulted in the escape of the prisoners with ease,” he added.

With frequent jailbreaks in the state, the government is also contemplating the initiation of a slew of measures, including the strengthening of the security system and reshuffling the staff.

The measures include introduction of uniforms for the prisoners and jail warders, installation of CCTV, electronic sliding gates and separate cells for hardcore criminals.

READ MORE - Meghalaya jail staff transferred

Meghalaya Police seek peace bonus

SHILLONG: Thanks to the Meghalaya police department, the state could well be crowned the peace capital of the North-East. And with almost zero
level of insurgency, due largely to "public awareness and efficient policing", the elated security forces have sought a "peace bonus" from the Centre for their efforts in peacekeeping.

Citing records, the state police department has asked for incentives from the Centre for development and modernization of the force. Chief minister DD Lapang will scheduled to fly down to New Delhi this week to place before the Centre a comprehensive modernization plan of the police department. Director general of police (DGP) Anil Pradhan said the plan includes procurement of devices for special branch, expansion of accommodation facilities for the personnel and enhancement of mobility for the 11,000-strong police force in the state.

Meghalaya had been witnessing a steadily decreasing curve in militancy since 2003. The years 2007 and 2008 saw progressive marginalization of militant formations in the state even as overall fatalities declined by 50 per cent.

There was no civilian fatality in 2008. A total of 12 fatalities, including one security personnel and 11 militants, were recorded in the year, according to statistics released by the home ministry. "Police have brought militancy in the state under control. The achievement needs to be recognized by the Centre, just as it has done for Mizoram, by granting funds for development," Pradhan asserted.

He said the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), the most potent militant outfit of the state, has been reduced to a group of about 100 criminals, with some rebels desperately trying to re-group but in vain. "A bulk of the cadres is based in Bangladesh, looking after bettle-nut cultivation," the DGP added.

Police records said a total of 105 militants were neutralized in Meghalaya in 2008. Of these, 78 were arrested, 15 surrendered and 11 others were killed. In 2007, a total of 24 people, including nine civilians, were killed in 28 separate incidents. In 2003, 79 people, including 35 civilians, were killed in 85 incidents.

READ MORE - Meghalaya Police seek peace bonus

Special Ops Teams to deal with terror in Meghalaya

SHILLONG: Meghalaya government has set up Special Operation Teams (SOTs) consisting of one platoon of specially trained personnel each in Shillong and Tura to deal with any major terrorist threat. “Efforts are being made to strengthen the teams in terms of manpower and equipment and create more Special Operation Teams in the battalions,” a home department official said today.

The operational activities of the SOTs are under the direct control and supervision of concerned district Superintendents of Police. Besides, a state crisis management group headed by the chief secretary as its chairman has been formed with a view to tackle terrorist threat and other crisis emanating from natural calamities in a coordinated manner, the official said.
A “coordination sub-group” to assist the Crisis Management Group and District Crisis Management Groups headed by concerned deputy commissioners have also been formed. Bomb detection and disposal team along with dog squad of the Meghalaya Police are available to deal with any bomb threat in Shillong town, the official said.
Though there is no Rapid Action Force at present to deal with major terrorist threat in the state, the SOTs have been trained to quickly react to any such threat in Shillong and Tura, he said.

READ MORE - Special Ops Teams to deal with terror in Meghalaya

Lapang faces rejig clamour

Shillong, July 5 : Taking a cue from their Assam counterparts, several Congress legislators in Meghalaya, who were not accommodated in the MUA government, will soon leave for Delhi to seek the AICC’s intervention to effect a cabinet reshuffle.

The disgruntled Congress legislators of Meghalaya, including many senior party MLAs, will apprise the AICC leaders of their dissatisfaction over accommodating Independents at the cost of Congress legislators. They said the Congress needs to be strengthened before the 2013 Assembly elections.

A senior Congress legislator, on condition of anonymity, told this correspondent today that despite the party having 26 legislators in the House of 60, chief minister D.D. Lapang could not accommodate more than five Congress MLAs in his cabinet.

He voiced concern that senior Congress leaders, including H.D.R. Lyngdoh, Augustine Marak, F.W. Momin, Sayeedullah Nongrum and Rowell Lyngdoh were not accommodated in the ministry and instead, “non-performing” Independents were given cabinet berths, just to buy their support. “We want a cabinet reshuffle to ensure more representation from the Congress in the ministry,” the MLA said.

In the 12-member MUA ministry, besides chief minister Lapang the five other Congress ministers are Mukul Sangma from West Garo Hills, M.M. Danggo from West Khasi Hills, Ampareen Lyngdoh and Prestone Tynsong from East Khasi Hills and R.C. Laloo from Jaintia Hills.

The remaining cabinet berths are with Independents Limison Sangma and Ismail Marak and the lone KHNAM legislator Paul Lyngdoh who were instrumental in toppling the erstwhile Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government.

Another Independent, A.T. Mondal, was rewarded with a cabinet post since he had remained loyal to the Congress.

When the UDP extended support to the MUA government, the post of the deputy chief minister and a cabinet berth went to the party. There is also a division within the Congress over giving cabinet berth to Ampareen Lyngdoh who resigned as party MLA and joined the UDP before rejoining the Congress.

READ MORE - Lapang faces rejig clamour

Meghalaya to modernize police force

Shillong | July 5  : Meghalaya government will ask New Delhi's  help in modernizing the state police force. Speaking at the inaugural function of the police reserve administrative building in Shillong on Friday, chief minister of Meghalaya DD Lapang said the government could not provide the needs of the personnel’s who are in the forefront of the state's efforts to come out of any crisis but vouche to seek New Delhi's immediate intervention to solve the problems.   Lapang said, “For the Fourth Pay Commission and the police modernization scheme, we are going to New Delhi to ask the centre’s help”.
“Everything is in my table and the police department is one area that we are also concentrating it more”, said Lapang. DD Lapang praised the police role even as he asked them to ignore the people’s suspicion. His pointer indirectly is on the severe criticism received by the police after it gave a clean chit to a Congress Member of the District Council (MDC) and party fund raiser who is alleged of funding the slain mastermind of the May 31  Shillong jail break.
Giving his mantra to the police personnel, Lapang said that there are three categories of people. “One who looked at the darker side of the coin, the other to the brighter side of the coin and the third category are those people who look at both sides of the coin”, stated Lapang while urging the uniformed men to be more receptive on those people who fall under the third category. “We may have black sheep in the police department but this does not mean that the public should generalize the whole department”, stated the chief minister

READ MORE - Meghalaya to modernize police force

Special Ops Teams to deal with terror in Meghalaya

Shillong , July 5 Meghalaya government has set up Special Operation Teams (SOTs) consisting of one platoon of specially trained personnel each in Shillong and Tura to deal with any major terrorist threat.
" Efforts are being made to strengthen the teams in terms of manpower and equipment and create more Special Operation Teams in the battalions,"a home department official said today.

The operational activities of the SOTs are under the direct control and supervision of concerned district Superintendents of Police.

Besides, a state crisis management group headed by the chief secretary as its chairman has been formed with a view to tackle terrorist threat and other crisis emanating from natural calamities in a coordinated manner, the official said.

A"coordination sub-group"to assist the Crisis Management Group and District Crisis Management Groups headed by concerned deputy commissioners have also been formed.

Bomb detection and disposal team along with dog squad of the Meghalaya Police are available to deal with any bomb threat in Shillong town, the official said.

Though there is no Rapid Action Force at present to deal with major terrorist threat in the state, the SOTs have been trained to quickly react to any such threat in Shillong and Tura, he said.

READ MORE - Special Ops Teams to deal with terror in Meghalaya

CM-level meet to sort out Langpih issue

Shillong:
Tilak Rai

After the skirmish in Langpih village on the Meghalaya-Assam border between two groups of people belonging to the two states, the Meghalaya Government is trying to fix a Chief Minister-level meeting to resolve the age-old boundary dispute.

Meghalaya Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee told The Indian Express on Wednesday: “We are sorting out papers before fixing a date for the meeting between the two chief ministers on the boundary dispute.”

Last Sunday, two groups of people clashed over alleged encroachment of land by Assamese residents inside Meghalaya.

READ MORE - CM-level meet to sort out Langpih issue

NGOs demand official’s ouster

Shillong, June 30: Civil society groups in Meghalaya have served a 10-day ultimatum to Speaker Charles Pyngrope to cancel the appointment of an official to the post of principal secretary at the Assembly secretariat.

The appointment of R. Kothandaraman, who is neither from the state nor an IAS official, as the principal secretary in the Assembly secretariat, has created a controversy with the NGOs opposed to the appointment.

The Khasi Students Union, the Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People and the Synjuk ki Seng Samla Shnong had also met the Speaker last week, urging him to cancel the appointment.

KSU general secretary Hamlet Dohling today said the NGO would submit a letter to the Speaker asking him to abort the appointment and send a copy of the letter to chief minister D.D. Lapang.

“If the government does not respond, we will launch a series of agitation,” he added.

The NGOs also flayed the Speaker for the appointment of the new principal secretary in the Assembly with a salary of Rs 75,000 per month, excluding TA, DA and other allowances. They said it would bring additional burden to a small state like Meghalaya.

They said an official with an IAS or Meghalaya Civil Service background should be appointed at the secretariat.

Dohling said Meghalaya was not a dumping ground for a “tainted” official.

Kothandaraman is allegedly facing an inquiry for anti-government activity in Nagaland, was chargesheeted for threatening the secretary general of Lok Sabha secretariat, P.D.T. Achary, and was terminated from Goa Assembly for alleged misconduct.

READ MORE - NGOs demand official’s ouster

Groups to study peace accords

Speaker served 10-day ultimatum
- Bid to correct anomalies


Shillong, June 30: Civil society groups from Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur have decided to scrutinise Assam, Shillong and Mizoram peace accords and ceasefire agreements so that both the Union and state governments can correct the anomalies in them.

The NGOs came together under the banner of North East Dialogue Forum here last evening to discuss the effectiveness of the peace accords and ceasefire agreements.

The chairman of the forum, Nobo Kishore, later told reporters that after going through the peace accords and the ceasefire agreements with militant groups at the meeting, the participants felt the need for an in-depth study of the loopholes existing in them.

The chairman of the Meghalaya Indigenous Peoples Forum, Rev. P.B.M. Basaiwmoit, said though the Mizo Accord was signed between the Mizo National Front and the Centre in 1986, the promises made to many former MNF cadres still remain unfulfilled.

He said the faulty implementation of the Shillong Accord signed between the Centre and the Naga militants in 1975 had resulted in the Naga rebels breaking away and forming different groups. The Assam Accord of 1985 signed by the student leaders of Assam and the Centre is yet to be properly implemented.

Citing the shortcomings in ceasefire agreements, Basaiawmoit said the one between Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) and the Assam government in North Cachar Hills had resulted in the formation of the breakaway DHD (Jewel) group. In Karbi Anglong, those who were not satisfied with the ceasefire agreement with the United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) formed an anti-talks faction.

“After we study the peace accords and the ceasefire agreements thoroughly, we may submit our views to the Union home ministry so that the Centre can adopt measures to correct the anomalies,” he added.
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READ MORE - Groups to study peace accords

Meghalaya forms Disaster Management Committee

Shillong (PTI): Deputy Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today informed the assembly that the state government had formed Disaster Management Committee at the state level, district and village as natural calamity was a common phenomenon in Meghalaya.

The Disaster Management Committee would assist the officials of the state government in times of natural calamites like cyclones and floods, he said.

Mr. Sangma said the state government had taken various steps to help the victims of natural calamity with financial assistance, as per the guidelines of the Central Government.

He admitted that the problem caused by natural calamity was more acute in West Garo Hills and its plain belt.

READ MORE - Meghalaya forms Disaster Management Committee

Malaria deaths rising in Meghalaya: CAG

Shillong, Jul 1 : Malarial deaths have increased alarmingly over the years in Meghalaya despite the health department incurring Rs 23.70 crore from 2003 to 2008 for prevention of the disease, a report of the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India, said.

The CAG report for 2007-2008, submitted to the Assembly recently, said compared to 38 deaths in 2003, the toll in 2007 was 237. The number of positive malaria cases detected per thousand population, which was 7.9 in 2003 shot up to 14.7 during 2007.

“The death cases due to malaria increased from 38 in 2003 to 237 in 2007, an increase of 524 per cent, thereby frustrating the objective of reducing the mortality rate by 10 per cent during 2007-08,” the report said.

Another alarming fact was the state health and family welfare department’s violation of the norm of using one piece of micro slide for collecting blood from one person.

The state directorate of health services had stated that micro slides could be used three or more times and health workers still used the needles after sterilisation.

“The use of a micro slide more than once is contrary to the operational guidelines of the Directorate of National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme and auto disposable needles are best suited for collection of blood smear under the programme,” the CAG report said.

According to the report, the collection of blood samples from 12.41 lakh people for detection of the malaria parasite and utilisation of 5,17,700 micro-slides and 39,200 needles by using these more than once could adversely affect the health of the people.

The report said the purpose of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme to reduce malaria mortality was defeated despite spending a huge amount to eradicate malaria in Meghalaya.

The CAG also observed that shortfall in coverage of the targeted population under spraying operations led to the rise in malarial deaths in the five-year period.

Moreover, the quality of spraying operations remained questionable because of non-availability of vehicles required for the purpose.

READ MORE - Malaria deaths rising in Meghalaya: CAG

Meghalaya MLAs misused funds of Rs 12 crore: CAG

Shillong, Jul 1 : Meghalaya legislators have 'misused' Rs 12 crore grant-in-aid alloted to them by the Assembly, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said.

During a seven-year period till 2008, the parliamentary affairs department issued sanction orders to the secretary of the Assembly for payment of discretionary grants amounting to Rs 12 crore to the MLAs, the CAG said in its report ended March 31, 2008.

A scrutiny of the sanction orders has revealed that the grants were issued without specifying the conditions laid down in the Meghalaya Financial Rules, the report said, adding the amount was drawn from the Treasury and disbursed in cash to the concerned members.

When the CAG asked the purpose of such grants, the government said that though no specific purpose is mentioned in the sanction letters, yet MLAs are given discretionary grants to help the needy persons of their constituencies. The government, however, failed to provide the list of needy persons or beneficiaries to whom the grants were released, the report said.

Indicting the purpose and the persons to whom such grants were given, the CAG recommended framing of rules and guidelines to ensure that funds are not misused.

READ MORE - Meghalaya MLAs misused funds of Rs 12 crore: CAG