Meghalaya

There is no progress in any of the proposed railway projects in Meghalaya, unlike other landlocked tourist destinations such as Sikkim which are close to being put on the country’s railway map. The Byrnihat project has been stalled for years while plans to connect Shillong with railways have gone nowhere. Speaking to media persons on Monday, the CPRO of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) told that there is no progress in the Meghalaya portion of the Tetelia-Byrnihat railway project as the Meghalaya government has not given permission yet. Around 2.5 km of the Tetelia-Byrnihat railway track falls in Meghalaya. Asked if the NFR would hold talks with pressure groups opposing the project due to fears of influx, the CPRO said the matter remains unresolved despite several meetings with state ...

Defending champions Rangdajied United will face 2019 winners Shillong Lajong in a thrilling quarterfinal clash to kick off the 4th Meghalaya State League (MSL) 2024 on January 9. The match will take place at the Wahiajer Sports Complex, with all quarterfinals scheduled to kick off at 1 pm. The highly anticipated tournament, paused in November for the state men's football team’s Santosh Trophy preparations, will resume with this marquee fixture. The tournament had seen Meghalaya exit in the quarterfinals of the national competition. Tournament Director Dr LL Mawsor confirmed the quarterfinal fixtures, with a double-header on January 11. Sutnga (East Jaintia Hills) and Ladthadlaboh (West Jaintia Hills) will battle it out in the Jaintia Hills Derby in Diengshynrum, Khliehriat. In Shillong...

In Kynrut village, West Khasi Hills District, a Bolero pickup transporting the choir from Kynrud Presbyterian Church crashed and fell into a deep gorge on Sunday, resulting in a horrific tragedy that left two people dead and numerous others injured. The choir group was en route to a church service at Nongrilong Presbyterian Church, located in Mawdem, under Mawthadraishan Constituency. Clement Nongsej, the Sordar of Kynrud, reported that news of the accident reached the village around 11 AM. The vehicle, carrying over 15 passengers, veered off the road at Kyllem village and fell nearly 100 meters into a gorge, allegedly due to brake failure. Emergency responders, along with villagers, acted promptly to rescue the injured, transporting them to medical facilities, including Kynrud PHC, Ma...

The Voice of the People Party on Sunday asked the state government to replace Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma for the sake of betterment of the education sector. VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said there is an urgent need for the government to change the Education minister who is often found to be "clueless" about the topics he is dealing with. "For example, what is the minister trying to achieve by introducing guidebooks for school students and teachers alike? Is he trying to apply a shortcut technique to increase the pass percentage? Learning is a process and it is measured by the learning outcome not by examination results. The result may not indicate good learning outcome if the method of imparting education is defective," the VPP leader said. He acknowledged the efforts made ...

In a move to balance religious practices with environmental preservation, the Meghalaya government has announced the opening of the Mawjymbuin Cave Shivling in Mawsynram for daily worship. The cave will be accessible to devotees from 9 AM to 5 PM throughout the year, following a meeting with local authorities and religious representatives. Satya Ranjan Borah, President of Kutumba Surakshya Parishad (KSP), expressed gratitude to the government, thanking them for making the Shivling available to devotees. "We acknowledge the efforts of the Meghalaya government and extend our sincere thanks to them for making the shivling available for devotees," he said in a press release. The opening comes with strict environmental guidelines aimed at preserving the cave's natural formation. Prohibited ...

The Assam-based Kutumba Surakshya Parishad (KSP) on Friday requested Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to open Mawjymbuin cave for both tourists and pilgrims without hurting the sentiments of the local people. The group stressed on the need to ensure that every individual gets to enjoy their fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. In a letter to the chief minister, KSP president Satya Ranjan Borah said, "We believe that our involvement towards the Mawjymbuin cave issue is constitutional and sincerely justified and therefore we are here." "This is our utmost request to you and your good office to take the needful action so that every single person enjoys their constitutional fundamental rights and joyfully perform their duties here. We have faith in your visionary leadership and ...

The Kutumba Surakshya Parishad (KSP), an Assam-based Hindu organization, confirmed that there is no restriction on worshipping the Shivling at Meghalaya's Mawjymbuin Cave in Mawsynram. Following a stakeholder meeting at the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner's office, KSP President Satya Ranjan Borah stated that daily visiting hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. have been established, with special arrangements planned for Shravan. Environmental safeguards will be enforced, including restrictions on smoke-generating items within the cave."There is no ban on worshipping the Shivling," emphasized the official statement, adding that the measures aim to preserve the site’s sanctity and environment. KSP also submitted a formal letter to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma through the Deputy Commiss...

The Mawsynram Dorbar Shnong on Friday reiterated that it would not allow the Mawjymbuin cave to be converted into a place of worship. East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner RM Kurbah held a crucial meeting on the contentious issue with all the stakeholders on Friday, who on thier part maintained that the Dorbar Shnong has the right to take a stand on the matter as the cave falls under it's jurisdiction. The Dorbar Shnong emphasised that it would not object to visitors visiting the place provided they adhered to all the SOPs. A significant outcome of the meeting was the agreement on a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for visiting the cave.The meeting came amid threats from Assam group Kutumba Suraksha Parishad (KSP) to cut off the road connectivity between Assam and Meghalaya on account...