Thursday, June 18

Meghalaya

Meghalaya Rural Bank Signs MoU with MegLife to strengthen rural livelihood
Meghalaya

Meghalaya Rural Bank Signs MoU with MegLife to strengthen rural livelihood

The MegLIFE project under the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Meghalaya Rural Bank to strengthen livelihood promotion through improved access to financial services. The agreement, signed at the MegLIFE office, aims to facilitate credit linkages for Integrated Village Cooperative Societies (IVCS) under the project, enabling rural communities to access formal banking support for income-generating activities. The MoU was signed by Gavade Sachin Shankar, Executive Director of MBDA and Additional Project Director of MegLIFE, and Ashish Yadav, Chairman of Meghalaya Rural Bank, in the presence of senior officials from both institutions. Officials said the partnership is expected to deepen financial inclusion across project a...
PM Modi to inaugurate Meghalaya Cricket Association’s Indoor Cricket Academy on April 28
Meghalaya

PM Modi to inaugurate Meghalaya Cricket Association’s Indoor Cricket Academy on April 28

The Meghalaya Cricket Association’s indoor cricket academy at Kurkalang will be formally inaugurated on April 28, alongside a wider rollout of indoor stadiums across six northeastern states. The programme will be led virtually by Narendra Modi from Sikkim, marking a coordinated push to strengthen sports infrastructure in the region. MCA president James PK Sangma has invited members and affiliates to attend the ceremony at the Kurkalang facility, calling it a key moment for cricket in the state. The launch follows efforts to complete the academy after construction delays under the previous administration. Sangma said he had sought the intervention of Conrad K Sangma to accelerate the process. “I had requested the intervention… to fast-track the completion of the Academy. I am gratef...
Shillong police conduct special naka drive to curb road menace in city
Meghalaya

Shillong police conduct special naka drive to curb road menace in city

As part of sustained efforts to strengthen traffic enforcement, improve road discipline and ensure safer streets for the public, East Khasi Hills Police, under the supervision of the Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills and SP (City/Traffic) and Addl SP Traffic conducted a special traffic enforcement drive during the intervening night of 25th and 26th April 2026 across three sectors of Shillong city Sadar, Laitumkhrah and Lumdiengjri. The drive was undertaken to intensify enforcement against traffic violations and unsafe road practices through coordinated, multi-location checking, particularly during night hours when such violations are more prevalent. The enforcement focused on detection of drunk driving, illegal modification of exhaust systems and lights, black-tinted v...
Bypass Project Row: PWD Fined Rs 31.25 Lakh for Violating Environmental Norms in Meghalaya
Meghalaya

Bypass Project Row: PWD Fined Rs 31.25 Lakh for Violating Environmental Norms in Meghalaya

The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has imposed a penalty of Rs 31.25 lakh on the Chief Engineer (NH), Public Works Department (PWD) for environmental violations linked to the Jowai Bypass Road project in West Jaintia Hills. The fine was imposed under Section 33A of the Water Act and Section 31A of the Air Act, read with the Central Pollution Control Board’s methodology for assessment of environmental compensation. The violations were found during inspections conducted by a Joint Committee constituted under the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The committee, headed by MSPCB member secretary George Hagi Chyrmang, submitted its “action taken” report to the tribunal on April 24 in compliance with earlier orders dated February 4 and March 11, 2026. Accor...
Meghalaya Gets New Push for Local Biodiversity Management Under MoEFCC-NBA Project
Meghalaya

Meghalaya Gets New Push for Local Biodiversity Management Under MoEFCC-NBA Project

To strengthen grassroots biodiversity governance by empowering local communities and institutions through the greening of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) and innovative financing, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) have launched a landmark five-year project titled ‘Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Securing Biodiversity Conservation Commitments’. The project is a joint initiative of the Government of India, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a grant of USD 4.88 million for the period 2025–2030. The project is rooted in two ecologically significant landscapes of Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu. In Garo Hills, Meghalaya, the Nokrek B...
Man arrested for killing his co-tenant in Shillong’s Mawblei
Meghalaya

Man arrested for killing his co-tenant in Shillong’s Mawblei

A 40-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by his co-tenant following a dispute in Mawblei on Saturday morning. The deceased, identified as Sumeet Kr Singha, was reportedly assaulted by Sanjay Kumar (42) inside their residential building at around 8 am. According to police, the accused used a "No Parking" board as a weapon during the altercation. Preliminary investigation suggests that the incident was triggered by suspicion on the part of the victim, who believed that the accused was having an affair with his wife. The matter escalated into a heated argument, which soon turned violent. Singha was rushed to Supercare Hospital for treatment; however, doctors declared him brought dead on arrival.Confirming the incident, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said ...
Meghalaya education minister to VPP chief; Read ST ruling on TET
Meghalaya

Meghalaya education minister to VPP chief; Read ST ruling on TET

Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Friday hit back at the opposition VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit for alleging that the state government was "harassing" teachers by directing them to clear the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET), calling the statement "condemnable" and accusing the VPP chief of "not understanding the truth." "His statement alleging that we are harassing the teachers by asking them to clear the MTET is highly condemnable because he does not understand what the truth is. Before making such allegations, I feel he should first find out the reason behind such a decision," Rymbui told reporters. "However, Ardent, for some reason, sees everything through his 'black glasses' and through his dark lens, and that is why he does not see the truth," he...
Meghalaya police bust vehicle theft racket in Shillong, 5 held
Meghalaya

Meghalaya police bust vehicle theft racket in Shillong, 5 held

Four minors among five persons were arrested and two scootys recovered from Pdengshakap in West Jaintia Hills district. The arrests and recoveries were made following a shift operation by police based on two separate complaints of theft lodged on Thursday. The police identified one suspected vehicle used in the theft through examination of CCTV footage. Acting swiftly, intensive patrolling was conducted, leading to the interception of the suspected vehicle. Five occupants, including four minors, were detained and brought to Phramer Traffic Cell, West Jaintia Hills, for interrogation. Additional Superintendent of Police (DSB) CW Lyngdoh informed that one scooty was stolen from Ialong Civil Hospital, Jowai while the other was lifted from Nongmensong, Langkyrding the same day. Based o...
Missing Guwahati teacher found safe in Shillong’s Polo area
Meghalaya

Missing Guwahati teacher found safe in Shillong’s Polo area

A 27-year-old woman from Guwahati, who had been missing since April 24, has been traced safe in Shillong on Saturday. The woman, identified as Bhabana Sarma, was reportedly found inside a room at a branch of the State Bank of India near Polo Ground in Shillong. According to reports, bank employees who arrived early at the premises found her in a distressed state and alerted local police authorities. Sarma had been working as a teacher at a private school in Guwahati and had recently left her job. “A police team from Guwahati has reached Shillong to bring her back. We are investigating how she reached Shillong. On April 24, she left her home and initially booked an Uber taxi but cancelled it. She later headed towards Paltan Bazar after booking a Rapido ride. The case is at a prelimi...
Meghalaya HC asks govt to club all FIRs against violence-accused politician
Meghalaya

Meghalaya HC asks govt to club all FIRs against violence-accused politician

The Meghalaya High Court has directed the consolidation of three FIRs lodged against former Member of the District Council (MDC) Sofior Rahman over a Facebook post, which allegedly led to violence that erupted in Garo Hills region following tension over the GHADC elections. A bench headed by Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere passed the order while disposing of a petition filed by Rahman seeking clubbing of the cases registered at different police stations. "The directions shall be complied with forthwith. The petition is accordingly disposed of," the court said. Rahman had approached the court contending that the FIRs, registered at Araimile, Songsak and Tura police stations in March, stemmed from the same social media post and therefore could not be investigated separately. His ...