Meghalaya

The Opposition parties on Thursday raised concerns over the recent trend of painting roads in various colours around the State Secretariat, highlighting potential distractions for commuters. The state government replied that the road paintings are part of the Shillong Urban Mobility policy, aimed at expanding walking spaces and decongesting traffic. Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Urban Affairs, Sniawbhalang Dhar, assured the House that the interventions are in line with geometric design standards and a study has been conducted to ease traffic congestion. Opposition Leader Mukul Sangma raised questions about the risk of distraction and road safety parameters. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma assured that auditing of all roads for deviations from these parameters would be done.

The ruling alliance on Thursday tried to clear the air surrounding the Meghalaya Investment Promotion Authority (MIPA), stating that it will not bypass or overrule the Land Transfer Act passed by the state Assembly. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said there are concerns that the state government would give away land to private investors. “I want to make it clear on the floor of the House that there is no question of bypassing the Land Transfer Act,” he asserted. “It is one of the most important Acts we have. It has protected our people for years and there is no way in which an agency can overrule an Act passed by this House. Let it be clear that there is no violation of the Land Transfer Act,” he said. “The procedures followed in the past, whether through the MIDC, MTDC, or other go...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said that both his state and neighbouring Assam have the responsibility to improve the air quality of Byrnihat, listed as India's most polluted town in 2024. Byrnihat in Meghalaya is located on the border of the two states and in between two industrial areas of the two northeastern neighbours. Sangma said in the assembly that he would formally write to his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma about the need for the two states to jointly address the issue of air pollution in the area.

Education: Overall allocation for next financial year is Rs 3,654 crore, including Rs 2,770 crore from the State resources. Out of this Rs 1,403 crore is for grant-in-aid salaries and Rs 170 crore is for taking up capital works. Health and Family Welfare: Overall allocation of Rs 2,176 crore, including Rs 1,664 crore from the state resources which is almost a 13% increase from last year. Public Works Department: The overall budget is Rs 2,873 crore of which Rs 2,122 crore is from the state resources, which is almost 16.6% increase over the previous year’s allocation. Water Supply: Rs 866 crore allocated for capital works of which Rs 700 crore is from state resources, an increase of 54% over the previous year’s allocation. Power: Rs 1,088 crore from the state resources for the power sector...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has called for a coordinated effort with Assam to address the escalating air pollution crisis in Byrnihat, which has been ranked as India’s most polluted town for the second consecutive year.Speaking in the Assembly, Sangma highlighted the need for urgent intervention, emphasizing that Byrnihat’s location on the Meghalaya-Assam border requires both states to take responsibility. He assured that he would formally communicate with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to devise a joint strategy to mitigate pollution levels in the region. His remarks came in response to a Call Attention Motion raised by Jirang MLA Sosthenes Sohtun, who cited data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicating that Byrnihat continues to record "very p...

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday presented what he termed as the people’s budget for 2025-26 with a fiscal deficit of Rs 1,970 crore, which is around 2.96% of the GSDP. The estimated total receipts is at Rs 30,415 crore, of which the revenue receipts are estimated at Rs 25,591 crore and capital receipts at Rs 4,824 crore. Excluding borrowings of Rs 4,788 crore, the total receipts are estimated to be Rs 25,627 crore. On the expenditure side, the total expenditure is estimated at Rs 30,003 crore, of which the revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs 20,556 crore and capital expenditure at Rs 9,447 crore. Excluding repayment of loans of Rs 2,406 crore, the estimated total expenditure is Rs 27,597 crore. The interest payments for 2025-26 are estimated at Rs 1,347 crore and pens...

The HYC on Wednesday asked the KHADC to come up with provisions specifying that trading licences will be issued only to genuine non-tribals who are permanent residents of the state. In their four-points memorandum submitted to KHADC CEM Shemborlang Rynjah, HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem said the council should ensure that the provisions laid down under the KHAD (Trading By Non-Tribals) Regulation, 1954 should be strictly implemented. According to him, the council should formulate the rules for implementation of this important regulation. He said that the new Executive Committee under his leadership should ensure all the future appointments in the council should be as per provisions specified in the Service Rules of 1961. “We urge people who are at the helms of affairs not to be involve...

The Meghalaya government continues to face challenges in stabilizing the prices of essential commodities, despite efforts to curb inflation and regulate the market. During the Budget Session of the Legislative Assembly, Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Comingone Ymbon acknowledged the ongoing difficulties in price control while responding to questions from MLA Heavingstone Kharpran. He emphasized that while the government monitors price fluctuations, external factors such as supply chain disruptions and seasonal variations in agricultural output contribute to market instability. "The market price of agricultural produce tends to fall after the harvest season due to an influx of fresh crops," Ymbon explained, highlighting the natural price adjustments in the market...