Meghalaya

Three individuals, including members of an organised human trafficking network smuggling people from Bangladesh to India, were arrested in Ri-Bhoi district on Tuesday evening. Ri-Bhoi Superintendent of Police, Vivekanand Singh Rathore, stated that the arrests were made based on credible information that Bangladeshi nationals were travelling from the Dawki border to Guwahati in a vehicle. A naka checkpoint was set up near Byrnihat Outpost, where authorities intercepted the vehicle (AS-01-FJ-4645). Two occupants, Jannati Sheikh (26) from Khulna, Bangladesh — who was found in possession of a forged Indian Aadhaar card — and the driver, Raushan Khan from Barpeta, Assam, were taken into custody. During interrogation, both admitted to being part of an organised network involved in traffickin...

The Meghalaya State Disaster Management Authority (MSDMA), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), conducted a state-level earthquake mock drill at the State Convention Centre in Shillong to bolster emergency response capabilities. The exercise aimed to assess resources, improve infrastructure, and enhance coordination among disaster response agencies. M War Nongbri, Commissioner & Secretary of the Revenue & Disaster Management Department, stressed the importance of proactive disaster preparedness, while NDMA Member Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) emphasized the need for a systematic and community-focused approach to disaster management. The event included online presentations from 11 districts, highlighting preparedness strategies. A Table...

Food poisoning claimed the life of another student from Meghalaya studying in Karnataka. Sources said 12-year-old Namewantei Marwein from Sohparu village in Nongstoin passed away at Mysore’s Apollo Hospital at 12.30 am on Tuesday. They said the boy was shifted to the hospital as he was in critical condition. He was studying in Class 6 at Gokula Vidyasamsthe in T. Kagepura of Malavalli Taluk in Mandya, Karnataka. Following the death of the two students, the authorities in Karnataka have reportedly shut the school. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said he was pained to learn about Namewantei’s passing. “My deepest condolences to the family. Our government will extend ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin and also take care of the medical expenditure of all the ailing childre...

The first scientific coal mining block at Saryngkham-A village in East Jaintia Hills district, has been inaugurated and is estimated to cost Rs 27 crore. The project proponent will set aside Rs 1.50 crore to mitigate environmental impacts due to the project’s Corporate Environment Responsibility (CER) Programme. An executive summary of the project reveals that the project is designed for extraction of 0.45 MT of total coal reserves over 12 years, with a peak capacity of 0.10 MTPA. Coal grade will vary widely from G1-G16. Coal extraction will be done using shovel-dumper combination in an opencast mechanized method, requiring explosives, machinery, diesel, lubricants, electricity, water, and facilities for personnel connected to mining operations. Opencast mining involves procedures s...

The CAG, in its report on Finance Accounts 2023-24, has highlighted that the Meghalaya government has outstanding Utilization Certificates (UCs) amounting to Rs 7,460.84 crore for grants disbursed up to March 31, 2024. Of this total, Rs 2,624.91 crore linked to 327 outstanding UCs has been cleared. However, as of March 31, 2024, 733 UCs amounting to Rs 4,835.93 crore remain pending. This includes 333 UCs worth Rs 2,261.91 crore from grants issued up to 2022-23, and an additional 400 UCs totalling Rs 2,574.02 crore for 2023-24. The report further notes that 122 UCs, amounting to Rs 424.77 crore, were submitted before their due date in 2023-24. Among the outstanding UCs, 96 UCs involving Rs 1,921.54 crore are linked to Centrally Sponsored Schemes. The CAG has cautioned that the non-su...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has urged the Ministry of Education and the National Testing Agency (NTA) to establish CUET examination centres within the state, after students were assigned centres in Guwahati, causing logistical and financial difficulties. Taking to social media, Sangma highlighted the issue, stating, "I have requested the Ministry of Education and the NTA to intervene in allotting CUET examination centres within Meghalaya for our students. Many students are being assigned Guwahati centres, causing inconvenience. Hopeful that the issue will be resolved." The decision to allocate CUET exam centres outside Meghalaya has sparked concerns among students and parents, particularly those from remote areas who face challenges in traveling to Guwahati for the exams....

Meghalaya on Monday initiated the scientific mining of coal after more than a decade of a ban on rat-hole mining imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma inaugurated the first scientific coal mining block at ‘Saryngkham-A’ at Byndihati in East Jaintia Hills district through video conferencing. It was in April 2014 when the NGT had banned rat-hole coal mining following a petition filed by a student group in adjoining Dima Hasao district of Assam, claiming river acidification due to mining. Addressing a gathering, Sangma congratulated stakeholders, including officials, mine owners, other mining lease applicants and the owner of this particular mining lease, Dapmain Shylla of Byndihati, who all contributed in making scientific mining in the state a real...

An abandoned bag near Prakash Hotel at Laitumkhrah Police Point triggered a bomb scare on Monday morning, prompting authorities to call in the bomb squad. The incident caused panic among residents and passers-by as police swiftly cordoned off the area as a precautionary measure. The bomb squad of the Meghalaya Police was deployed to inspect the suspicious item. Upon examination, officials found that the bag contained only a laptop, medicines, and some documents, confirming there was no security threat. Police informed that the abandoned bag belonged to the owner of the hotel, who had mistakenly left it near the premises.

The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Meghalaya successfully hosted three five-day training programmes sponsored by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) from March 10 to March 14 at its Shohra campus. The programmes were inaugurated by Chief Guest Satinder K. Bhalla, Deputy Director General of the Department of Telecommunications, and Guest of Honour Bijit Goswami, Executive Director (Tech-Operation & Maintenance) of North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO). The sessions were conducted under the leadership of NIT Meghalaya Director Prof. Pinakeswar Mahanta. The training focused on three key areas: Advanced Management Development – Data Science and AI for Management DevelopmentEntrepreneurial Skill Development Programme (ESDP) – Aw...