Meghalaya

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the situation in the areas along the state's border with Assam is under control, but cautioned that sporadic incidents may persist because of long-standing disputes. Describing the boundary tensions as "a complex issue with a deep-rooted history", Sangma on Tuesday said when occasional confrontations occur, the government, with public support, has managed to ease these "to some extent". The dispute between Assam and Meghalaya dates back to the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act of 1969 and involves 12 contested stretches along the 884.9-km boundary between the two states. “The governments of both states have taken steps to resolve these disputes through dialogue. In 2022, Assam and Meghalaya signed MoUs to demarcate six of the disputed ar...

In what is being described as a landmark intervention, the Meghalaya government has decided to take over the financial responsibility of paying salaries to employees of the state’s three Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) starting November this year. The announcement was made on Monday by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who said the move was necessary to address the persistent financial instability that has crippled the councils for years. The decision follows detailed consultations held earlier in the day with the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC). Sangma revealed that the GHADC requires over ₹70 crore annually to meet its salary obligations, but its own revenue generation stands at less than ₹30 crore. Similar financial distress, he pointed out, has been faced by the Jaint...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said empowering the youth, farmers, women and rural entrepreneurs is the key to development, which is “not just about big projects”. Sangma, while, speaking at the inauguration of a ‘Youth Mela’ here, said though GDP figures and infrastructure projects were important, these are “incomplete unless linked with improvements in health, education, rural tourism and agriculture”. Underscoring his government's efforts to encourage inclusive growth, he said entrepreneurship should not be confined to large businesses alone. The three-day Youth Mela on launched on August 25, highlighting the remarkable success of Meghalaya's community learning centres that have already supported thousands of young entrepreneurs across rural areas. The event at A...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday announced that the state government will take over the responsibility of paying salaries of the state's three autonomous district councils (ADCs) from November to address their persistent financial crisis. Sangma said the decision followed detailed discussions with the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council earlier in the day. "The annual salary requirement of the Garo Hills council alone is over Rs 70 crore, while its revenue is less than Rs 30 crore. Similar financial constraints are faced by the Jaintia Hills and, to some extent, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council," Sangma said in a statement. The councils, created under the Sixth Schedule, have legislative, administrative, and judicial powers over land use, forest manageme...

The Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army are set to resume their joint military exercise Maitree in India, bringing renewed focus on counter-terrorism cooperation and regional security. The 14th edition of the exercise will be held from September 1 to 14 at the Foreign Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya. This year’s exercise holds special significance as it returns to Indian soil after a gap of five years. The last edition was conducted in Thailand’s Tak Province, where both sides had deployed 76 soldiers each, including India’s Ladakh Scouts and Thailand’s 1st Battalion of the 14th Infantry Regiment. The upcoming drill in Meghalaya will build on that foundation while addressing new security challenges in the region. According to the Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public...

The Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army will conduct the 14th edition of their joint military exercise, Maitree, from September 1 to 14 at the Foreign Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya. According to the Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information, the drill will focus on enhancing operational readiness for joint counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain under a United Nations mandate. This edition is significant as the exercise returns to India after a gap of five years. The last Maitree exercise was held in Tak Province, Thailand, where both sides had deployed 76 soldiers each, including India’s Ladakh Scouts and Thailand’s 1st Battalion of the 14th Infantry Regiment. Defence ties between India and Thailand form part of a wider partnership that spans tr...

Meghalaya police in West Jaintia Hills district apprehended three individuals and recovered three stolen scooters in an early morning operation on Friday, officials confirmed. Acting on intelligence inputs, a police team intercepted a car without a registration plate at Demthring around 2:30 am. Upon inspection, the team found vehicle parts inside the car. Further questioning led the officers to a nearby jungle, where three stolen scooters had been concealed. The arrested suspects were identified as Jopparson Rabon (24) and Meshanki Langstang (22) of Thangrai, and Paulme Sungoh (21) of Nongbah Lawmusiang. During preliminary interrogation, the trio admitted to stealing the vehicles from Shillong’s Laban and Jhalupara areas. The recovered scooters have been seized and shifted to the J...

Meghalaya Police will file its chargesheet by August-end against prime accused Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raj Kushwaha and five others in the May 23 Sohra murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, well within the three-month deadline from their June arrest, officials said on Friday. All five accused are currently in judicial custody. Additional Public Prosecutor Tushar Chandra told reporters that the investigation is almost complete and the chargesheet will be filed within this month. He added that the accused are expected to be produced before the court again on either August 27 or 28. Those arrested include Sonam Raghuvanshi, Raj Kushwaha, and three alleged henchmen—Anand Singh Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan. Three co-accused, identified as property owner L. Tomar, proper...

The Bangladeshi people who had sneaked into India and attempted to rob and abduct a villager in Meghalaya's South West Khasi Hills earlier this month took advantage of unfenced stretches of the international border, officials said on Thursday. Meghalaya and Bangladesh share a 444 km-long border, around 20 per cent of which is unfenced due to various reasons. After the intrusion by Bangladeshis on August 8, the state government sent a three-member panel to the affected area. It comprises Vice Chairman of the Border Area Development Committee Kitborlang Nongrem, former MLA Himalaya M Shangpliang and Mendipathar legislator Marthon J Sangma. During the inspection, villagers complained that Bangladeshi groups had been exploiting hidden tracks and porous stretches of the border to carry o...

The Meghalaya government has ordered the one-year detention of five repeat drug traffickers under the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act, officials announced on Wednesday. The move follows the recommendation of a three-member Advisory Board headed by a retired Chief Justice, in accordance with Section 31 of the Act, said Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh. The detained individuals are Pynhoi Nongtula Puni (35) of Thadlaskien, West Jaintia Hills; Hubert Lamphrang Palar alias Lungrit (22) of Mawdong Pyndengrei, West Khasi Hills; Marwil Nangbah alias Marwil (49) of Lumpari, Jowai; Rintu G Saika alias Pratap (35) of Nongrim Hills; and Aisha Khatoon alias Pahari (50) of Lower Paltan Bazar. Lyngdoh noted that since August 2024, ...