Meghalaya

The East Khasi Hills District administration has imposed a strict ban on forest burning in response to rising wildfire incidents in the region. The prohibitory order, issued by District Magistrate RM Kurbah on March 19 under Section 163 of the BNSS Act, takes immediate effect. The order cites concerns over rampant and unattended forest burning, which has been a major cause of wildfires, leading to environmental degradation and threats to human safety. "It is necessary to ensure public safety and protect our forests from further damage," the order states. Authorities have also warned that violators will be prosecuted under Section 223 of the BNSS Act. The ban will remain in force until further notice, with the administration intensifying monitoring efforts to prevent forest fires. Th...

The Shillong Cantonment Board is working on a strategy to relocate hawkers and vendors operating in the cantonment areas. Shillong Cantonment Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ayush Maurya, acknowledged that the issue extends beyond the cantonment areas and affects the entire city of Shillong. While recognising that it is also a matter of livelihood, he stated that the vendors occupying roadsides cannot simply be ignored, especially given existing court guidelines on the matter. “We have to provide them with an alternative location,” he said, adding that the board is actively formulating a relocation plan for hawkers within the cantonment area. It is worth noting that a significant number of hawkers have encroached upon roads and pavements in areas like Jhalupara and Paltan Bazar...

Twenty finalists from the District-Level Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament Festival 2025, organized by North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, will compete in the state-level debate at the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly later this month. The winners of the state-level event will earn the opportunity to represent Meghalaya at the national-level competition in the Indian Parliament. The district-level competition saw participation from over 142 students from East Khasi Hills and Eastern West Khasi Hills districts. Over five sessions, contestants debated governance, economy, national security, and social progress, with four winners selected from each session by a panel of distinguished academics and educationists. Guest of Honour F. Rumnong highlighted the event’s role in nurturin...

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...