Meghalaya

In a major political development, Mylliem MLA Ronnie V. Lyngdoh, who was the sole Congress legislator in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, has officially resigned from the party and is set to join the ruling National People's Party (NPP). Ronnie, who served as Leader of the Opposition and currently holds the post of Chief Whip of the Opposition, was left alone in the Congress after three of his party colleagues defected to the NPP earlier this year. On Wednesday morning, Ronnie submitted his resignation letter to the Speaker of the Assembly, marking the end of his lone battle on the Opposition bench. He was accompanied by supporters and local NPP leaders from the Mylliem constituency, including Hamletson Dohling, Daniel Thangkhiew, and close family members. This move solidifies NPP's...

The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) in Longleng commemorated World Hepatitis Day 2025 at Yachem CHC, Longleng. The event was presided over by Peer Educator Penny and included a keynote address delivered by Dr. Temsu, the District Programme Officer for Longleng. He underscored the significance of awareness, early detection, and prevention of hepatitis. Dr. Temsu pointed out the rising mortality rate associated with hepatitis in India and discussed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's special flagship national initiative. He urged citizens to undergo early screening for hepatitis and highlighted the availability of free testing and treatment provided by the government. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of community involvement and the need to destigmatize the...

The Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, A&N Administration is organizing long-term Yoga coaching classes aimed at benefiting school-aged children (both boys and girls). The Yoga sessions are held at the Netaji Stadium Sports Complex, Sri Vijaya Puram, from 5:00 AM to 6:30 AM, excluding Sundays and Gazetted holidays. Students who are interested are encouraged to register their names with the Yoga Instructor/PET at Netaji Stadium, Sri Vijaya Puram.

As the third Meghalaya Pineapple Festival, which will take place from August 1–3 at Dilli Haat in New Delhi, approaches, Meghalaya's pineapple industry has reached a major milestone: over 757 metric tons of processed fruit have reached European Union baby food makers. Over 30,000 farmers from the districts of Ri-Bhoi and Garo Hills participated in the extensive agricultural reform that resulted in the export success. Through self-help group activities that guarantee quality control and full traceability from farm to market, these farmers grow naturally organic Kew pineapples with a high Brix value. During her visit to Meghalaya, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced the supply of quality pineapples to Dubai; the fruit is currently sold at Lulu Hypermarkets. This ...

The Meghalaya High Court has ordered Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Mawphlang, to pay ₹6.5 lakh as compensation to the family of Nathaniel Sohtun, a Class 11 student who died of electrocution in 2024 due to poor electrical infrastructure and lack of safety protocols.Justice Hamar Sing Thangkhiew, delivering the verdict on July 29, said the compensation must be paid within eight weeks, in addition to the ₹1 lakh ex gratia already paid. The decision came in response to a writ petition filed by the student’s mother, Phidapherlin Sohtun. The incident occurred on the terrace of the school hostel where Nathaniel and his friends went to bathe after a sports session. Despite being a restricted area, the terrace was left unlocked. The court found this a “clear failure of duty” by school staf...

Meghalaya government has announced complete pedestrianisation of the popular commercial stretch from 7 am to 9 pm, with exclusive car passes only for area residents. The bustling Khyndailad (Police Bazar) area in Shillong will transform into a pedestrian-only zone for 14 hours daily, following the successful relocation of licensed street vendors to a designated space at the MUDA parking complex. Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh announced the immediate implementation of the vehicle restriction from 7 am to 9 pm on weekdays. Residents living along the Khyndailad-to-Dreamland stretch will receive special car passes, limited to one per household, after authorities complete the ongoing process of collecting residential details through the Shillong Municipal Board. Business owners operating in the...

The Meghalaya High Court directed Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Mawphlang, to pay Rs 6.5 lakh as compensation to the parents of Nathaniel Sohtun, a class 11 student who died of electrocution in the school hostel last year. A bench of Justice Hamar Sing Thangkhiew passed the order on Monday, stating that the amount should be paid within eight weeks. The compensation is in addition to the Rs 1 lakh ex gratia already paid by the school. The HC gave the order while hearing a writ petition filed by the student's mother, Phidapherlin Sohtun. The incident happened on the terrace of the hostel where Nathaniel, along with his friends, had gone to take a bath after playing. The HC observed that he died due to electrocution, resulting from "negligence and deficiency" on the part of the school...

The Meghalaya High Court is scheduled to conduct a crucial hearing on August 5 to examine claims of wrongful revocation of street vendor licences, a matter that has gained significant attention due to its impact on the livelihoods of numerous hawkers operating in the state capital, Shillong.The hearing stems from complaints made by street vendors who claim that their valid licences were cancelled without due process, leaving them excluded from official relocation drives. Many of these affected vendors previously operated in Police Bazar, one of Shillong's busiest commercial zones, and were expecting to be shifted to designated vending areas as per the government’s directives. The matter is being considered under a broader public interest litigation (PIL) concerning street vending policies...

The High Court of Meghalaya will address the relocation of licensed vendors from crowded public places to designated areas and eviction of unlicensed and unauthorised vendors on August 5. The state government has promised to relocate licensed vendors in Police Bazar by July 22, but some vendors' licenses have been revoked, preventing relocation. The plea by the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association seeks modification of an earlier order granting limited time to licensed vendors to vend from Police Bazar.

Meghalaya's Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, inaugurated the state's first centrifuged latex manufacturing unit in East Garo Hills, aiming to process raw rubber and benefit over 3,000 farmers in the region. The 18.8-crore project, funded by the state government through the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency, is implemented by Sr Rose, founder of Mendipathar Multipurpose Cooperative Society. Sangma emphasized the importance of improving livelihood and income opportunities for farmers to achieve the state's USD 10 billion economy target. He also highlighted the need to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem and encourage youth to take up entrepreneurship. The state is also laying the foundation for Meghalaya's first fruit dehydration unit, which will have a processing capacity of 7,400 metric t...