Meghalaya

The Committee on Public Undertakings of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Thursday reviewed the status of loan recoveries involving public sector undertakings and examined observations raised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India regarding the implementation of the Saubhagya and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) schemes. The meeting, chaired by Committee Chairperson Charles Marngar MLA, discussed financial recoveries and irregularities related to various cases. The committee reviewed the loan account of CMJ Breweries Pvt Ltd, noting that repayment remained unsatisfactory. Against a principal loan amount of Rs 61.94 crore, only Rs 23.98 crore has been repaid, while around Rs 29 crore remains outstanding. The Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation ...

Meghalaya has completed the house-to-house enumeration phase of the 2026 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with election officials reporting that all 23,49,645 electors across the state have been covered and their Enumeration Forms distributed and digitised. According to the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the exercise marks a key milestone in preparing a "clean, accurate and inclusive Electoral Roll" for the state. The digitised data shows that 7,75,337 electors (33%) have been mapped as Self, linking their records directly to the 2005 SIR database, while 11,69,670 electors (49.78%) have been mapped as Progeny, with records linked to those of their parents or grandparents. A further 2,24,234 electors (9.54%) could not be linked to the 2005 databas...

The state government has sought to allay public concern over the Shillong Peak Ropeway Project, stating that the project has all statutory approvals and will be implemented taking all environmental and community safeguards. The Rs 151-crore ropeway will be built as part of the PM-DevINE scheme with New Development Bank contributing Rs 80.89 crore and the DoNER Ministry providing the rest Rs 70.11 crore. Work on the 896-metre ropeway, which will have 13 cabins built to European CEN standards, is slated to begin on 15 October 2026, according to Meghalaya Ropeway Development Authority (MRDA) under the Tourism Department. MRDA officials said the project aims to offer tourists a better commuting option while also creating local jobs and reducing vehicular traffic, and thereby emission...

The Meghalaya government has directed all administrative departments to stop organising felicitation ceremonies for the chief minister, deputy chief ministers, ministers and other state dignitaries during official government programmes. In a circular issued by the Personnel and A.R. (A) Department on July 29, the government said no felicitation of the chief minister, deputy chief minister(s), ministers or other state dignitaries should be organised at any state government event. The order, issued by the governor, allows an exception only when a Union minister or a foreign dignitary is invited to attend a state government programme. The government said administrative departments may instead felicitate two or three representatives from the public at such events. If considered appro...

The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has launched a two-day trial of advanced air purifiers in Byrnihat as part of efforts to address worsening air pollution in the industrial town. The trial, conducted at two locations on Wednesday, is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the WARO C6, a solar-powered air purification system developed by Mumbai-based Zero Carbon Tech24 Pvt. Ltd. The WARO C6 is designed to draw in polluted ambient air, filter harmful pollutants, and release up to 30 litres of clean air per second. According to MSPCB officials, the initial trial demonstrated a noticeable reduction in pollution levels in the immediate surroundings, suggesting that the technology could help improve local air quality. Following a review meeting, Cabinet Minister and Jir...

The National People's Party (NPP) on Wednesday said it is yet to receive clarity from the Centre on whether the amendments proposed by the party, along with church leaders, to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Bill have been accepted. Speaking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister and NPP State President Prestone Tynsong said the party would decide its stand on the Bill only after receiving a clear response from the Central Government. According to Tynsong, the NPP has raised concerns over certain provisions in the proposed legislation that could affect churches and religious institutions. He said the party had submitted its suggested amendments in consultation with church leaders and is now awaiting the Centre's decision. "The National People's Party, along with chu...

Nearly 1.5 lakh electors in Meghalaya have been identified under the Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD) category during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, according to the latest update released by the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) B.D.R. Tiwari. The report stated that 1,49,656 electors, accounting for 6.37 per cent of the state's total electorate of 23,49,645, have been classified under the ASDD category. Of these, 74,851 have been marked as deceased, 37,914 as shifted, 28,826 as absent, 5,899 as duplicate entries, while 2,166 electors refused to submit enumeration forms. The status report was released a day before the conclusion of the house-to-house distribution and digitisation of enumeration forms under the SIR exercise. Ele...

The Meghalaya government has begun relocating street vendors from Shillong's Polo and Jail Road areas to newly developed designated vending zones as part of efforts to create a cleaner, safer and more organised city while protecting the livelihoods of vendors. In a post on X, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma said the vendors have started operating from the new vending zones located at the parking lot opposite SBI and near Matri Mandir in Polo under the Meghalaya Street Vendors Scheme. The chief minister said the relocation was carried out after extensive consultations with vendors and other stakeholders to ensure that the transition remained smooth, voluntary and respectful. To support vendors during the relocation, the state government has introduced the Chief Minister's Urban Livelih...

The proposed Shillong Ropeway project has encountered another hurdle after the office of the Syiem of Hima Mylliem directed the KEC-TCL joint venture to obtain community-level clearances before a trading licence can be issued. In a letter addressed to the joint venture’s local authorised representative, the Acting Syiem stated that the company must first submit a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Dorbar Ki Bakhraw na U San Kur Khatwei Kur ka Raid Mylliem. The authorities have also sought a resolution from the residents of Riat Laban Dorbar, covering the seven Dorbar Shnong under its jurisdiction, along with the minutes of any public hearing conducted in connection with the project. The joint venture had earlier submitted documents, including its GST registration and government ap...

Nearly 1.5 lakh voters in Meghalaya have been identified under the Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD) category as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, according to the latest status report issued by the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) B.D.R. Tiwari. The report revealed that 1,49,656 electors, representing 6.37 per cent of the state's total electorate of 23,49,645, have been placed in the ASDD category following the verification exercise. Among them, 74,851 electors have been identified as deceased, 37,914 have shifted from their registered addresses, 28,826 were found absent, and 5,899 names were flagged as duplicate entries. Additionally, 2,166 voters declined to submit their enumeration forms, election officials said. The ...