Meghalaya

The Directorate of Civil Defence and Home Guards, Meghalaya, has announced a statewide civil defence mock exercise on air raid and blackout, titled “ARMEX-I 2026,”to be conducted on April 24, following directives from the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The large-scale exercise will be carried out across all districts of the state, involving multiple agencies including the Air Force, Army, Police, SDRF, Home Guards, Civil Defence volunteers, Fire and Emergency Services, Health and Power Departments, along with community bodies such as Dorbar Shnongs and traditional village institutions. According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) SDRF, B. Mukhim, “The exercise is aimed at enhancing preparedness and coordination ...

The Government of Meghalaya has intensified efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by strengthening district-level implementation, improving data systems and expanding outcome-based budgeting mechanisms. The focus areas were discussed during a state-level workshop held at the State Convention Centre in Shillong on Thursday, where officials and development partners reviewed progress and challenges in SDG implementation. Commissioner and Secretary of the Planning Department, Vijay Kumar D, said the state has created SDG cells across districts supported by research fellows and village-level data volunteers to strengthen monitoring and delivery systems. He added that the expansion of a catalytic fund would allow districts to receive up to ₹1.5 crore each for targ...

The Government of Meghalaya has issued a strong response to the opposition Voice of the People Party’s (VPP) eight-point demand charter, defending its policies related to land use, recruitment, environmental regulation and border security.The government accused critics of spreading misinformation and said its decisions were based on legal procedures, environmental safeguards and transparency measures rather than “political sloganeering.”Responding to concerns over the controversial Lum Pongdeng project, the government clarified that the ecologically sensitive island had already been removed from the concession agreement. It stated that no permanent construction would be allowed and ownership of the land would remain with the state. On the issue of teachers and recruitment, the governme...

A 22-year-old youth was found dead under suspicious circumstances near Bomver Complex, adjacent to the State Bank of India at Lai Mer in Upper Shillong on Thursday morning. The deceased has been identified as Venny Kumar Singh, a resident of Riatsohkhlur-Nongskeh, and the son of Satyandar Kumar Singh. According to sources, the body was first spotted by local residents in the early hours, prompting them to alert the police. The police of Jhalupara police outpost, accompanied by a forensic team, reached the spot and conducted preliminary examinations and other necessary procedures. Following the completion of formalities at the scene, the body was taken to Civil Hospital, Shillong forpost-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death. Police have registered a case and...

The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has said the Meghalaya government, unlike neighbouring Assam, lacks credible data on the number of illegal migrants in the State.The opposition party demanded a "foolproof mechanism" to detect and deport them."As of now, there is no proper record; there is no estimate that the government has come out with, unlike in Assam," VPP chief Ardent M Basaiawmoit said.Citing figures placed by the Assam government, he claimed there has been a consistent rising trend in illegal immigrants in the neighbouring state, while in Meghalaya, there is no such exercise that the government has carried out.“Simultaneously, the government has to carry out a foolproof exercise to detect these illegal immigrants. They should not be included in the census; they should be detecte...

The High Court of Meghalaya was informed on Wednesday that the proposed expansion of Shillong Airport has received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change. A fresh status report submitted on behalf of the Airports Authority of India revealed that the expansion project has been awarded to KCC Buildcon Pvt. Ltd.. Deputy Solicitor General of India Nitesh Mozika presented the report, which was taken on record by the court. As per the report, environmental clearance for the project—including the extension of the runway, construction of a new terminal building, apron, and allied infrastructure—was granted on March 28. The work order was subsequently issued to the firm on April 1. The court was informed that, under Clause 6 of the agreement,...

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursdat said the VPP or any other political party has the right to reach out to the public with their respective agendas and that it is ultimately up to the people to decide whether to support them or not. His remark comes in response to the VPP calling for large-scale public mobilisation, urging citizens to be prepared to take to the streets of Shillong in large numbers as part of a proposed march to the Secretariat to press the NPP-led MDA 2.0 Government to act on its eight-point charter of demands. On the VPP's attempt to expand its activities into the Garo Hills region, Tynsong described the move as welcome and said it reflects the functioning of a political party seeking to represent the interests of the entire state. He added that ...

The Khasi Jaintia Government Contractors and Suppliers Association has raised concerns over the prolonged delay in the release of payments under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), with dues totaling approximately Rs 1,800 crore pending since 2019. A delegation from the association met the Chief Engineer of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, RS Nongbri, to seek the clearance of the outstanding bills. Association leader FD Ramsiej stated that payments have been stalled due to thenon-disbursement of funds by the central government. During the meeting, the Chief Engineer informed the delegation that the Centre has extended the implementation of the scheme until 2028 under JJM Phase II. Contractors are now required to comply with revised guidelines, submit necessary documentat...

The Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Wednesday called for large-scale public mobilisation, urging citizens to prepare to take to the streets of Shillong in “lakhs” for a proposed march to the Secretariat. The aim is to press the NPP-led MDA 2.0 Government to act on the party’s eight-point charter of demands. Addressing a well-attended public meeting at Motphran, VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit declared the party would not remain passive if the government fails to respond. He stressed that agitation could escalate into widespread protests across the city, culminating in a march to the Secretariat. “We will not wait until 2028. These demands are urgent and must be addressed immediately. If the government fails to act, our movement will intensify,” Basaiawmoit said, cal...

Over 23,000 teachers in the state will get their salary as per the new pay structure from May this year, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said on Wednesday. “The new pay structure has already been implemented from April 1. We only need to release the salary on May 1 or first week of the month as the case may be,” Rymbui told reporters. Calling it a long-pending issue, he said, “The challenge is there… that is why successive governments could not do it. I am happy that under the leadership of the chief minister Conrad K Sangma, this issue could be resolved.” Stating that the government initiative is about more than the teacher’s salary, he said, “It is not a question of only implementing the new pay structure, it is a question of giving them the surety, giving them dignity and th...