Meghalaya

The Shillong Literary Festival 2026 – New Delhi Prelude opened to a grand response at Bikaner House on May 9, bringing together prominent voices from literature, cinema, journalism, governance, and the creative arts ahead of the main festival scheduled to be held in Shillong from November 12 to 14. Organized by the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya, the two-day prelude aims to expand Meghalaya’s cultural presence nationally while promoting the state as a growing destination for literature, arts, music, and culture-led tourism. A major highlight of the inaugural day was an engaging conversation between Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta, where discussions centered on governance, youth aspirations, entrepreneurship, sustai...

Rubbishing allegations of substandard roofing material, Project Management Consultant Sumit Roy on Friday said the new Assembly building’s terrace roof sheets were being replaced after cleaning issues were found, and work would be completed within an hour. Roy, who is supervising the project, said the building is in its final stage. “Currently, this project is in the final stage and right now the cleaning part like in the windows and all is ongoing at site,” he said. On reports that the building’s roof was “falling apart,” he clarified, “Regarding this terrace roof, that sheet we found somewhere sticker and cleaning is not properly done, so we suggested to the contractor to kindly replace it with a new sheet.” He added that the replacement work had already begun. “Two days b...

The mysterious “Ñiangtaser” insect, scientifically known as Chremistica ribhoi, and a rare cicada species found mainly in parts of Ri-Bhoi, has reappeared in the Meghalaya district.What makes the insect unique is its unusual appearance cycle, as it emerges only once every four years, often around the same period as the FIFA World Cup, which is taking place this year. Because of this coincidence, local residents popularly refer to it as the “Ñiang World Cup.”Known for its loud buzzing sound, the insect has become a cultural symbol in several villages of Ri-Bhoi, where people associate its arrival with celebration, football fever and traditional gatherings.Scientists believe the insect spends most of its life underground before emerging briefly as an adult after every four-year cycle.The re...

Police have filed an FIR against the Jaintia National Council (JNC) Western Zone following a protest against toll collection at the Pasyih-lalong plaza on NH-6 in West Jaintia Hills. The case was registered at the Phramer Traffic Cell after JNC members recently blocked the collection of fees from vehicles with ML-04 (West Jaintia Hills) and ML-11 (East Jaintia Hills) registration numbers. The organization maintains that all local residents should be exempted from the toll. JNC Western Zone president Hamehi Bamon, who was summoned by police on Thursday, was informed that a March 2026 order by the Deputy Commissioner only exempts private ML-04 vehicles from eight specific villages near the plaza: lalong, Pasyih, Phramer, Sabah Mutwang, Muthlong, Mookaswan, Nangbah, and Mihmyntdu. ...

The Meghalaya government has proposed a revised estimate of Rs 772.96 crore for the New Shillong Township Water Supply Scheme, marking a significant increase from the originally sanctioned Rs 538.44 crore. This 43.55 percent hike, amounting to an additional Rs 234.52 crore, is attributed to essential design modifications and infrastructure changes necessitated by environmental and technical challenges. A primary driver for the cost escalation is the strategic relocation of the dam site. Originally planned near Nonghali village, the dam was moved further upstream after it was discovered that a landfill had been proposed in the vicinity. This shift was mandatory to avoid long-term environmental risks and ensure the safety of the potable water supply. The relocation has substantially alte...

Deputy Chief Minister and NPP state president Prestone Tynsong on Thursday said he had no information on speculation that former chief minister and TMC leader Mukul Sangma was planning to join the NPP. “Being the president of the state NPP, I am not aware right now,” Tynsong said when questioned about the reports. “Since I am not aware, I don’t know from where (this report has come). If you will ask again, at my level I am not aware,” he added.

The 2026 football season of the Shillong Sports Association (SSA) was formally launched today at the SSA Ground in Shillong by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who attended the programme as the Chief Guest. The event was also attended by the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Wailadmiki Shylla, as the Guest of Honour, former Sports Minister and SSA President Banteidor Lyngdoh, along with officials of the association, participating teams, players, and members of the football community. During the programme, the Chief Minister officially declared the 2026 football season open and hoisted the SSA flag, marking the formal commencement of the league season. Addressing players, officials, and football enthusiasts, he congratulated the Meghalaya Football Association and the S...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday slammed the Opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) for skipping the all-party meeting convened by the government to deliberate on the reservation policy issue. The Chief Minister said he was disappointed that the VPP, which had strongly raised the reservation issue and projected itself as deeply concerned about the matter, chose not to attend the meeting despite having demanded broader discussions on the issue. The Meghalaya government had on Wednesday held a consultation meeting with political parties to discuss the findings of the expert committee constituted to review the state’s reservation policy. “The expert committee was constituted following demands raised by Opposition parties on the floor of the Assembly,” Sangma s...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday reaffirmed the Government’s vision for sports development, stating that the long-term vision would be to make Shillong the football capital of India. “Our vision is clear—we want Meghalaya, and Shillong in particular, to become the football capital of India,” Sangma said after launching the 2026 football season of the Shillong Sports Association (SSA) at the SSA Ground. He said that while investment in infrastructure remains important, equal emphasis must be placed on developing human capital in sports. “We must invest in our players, our coaches, our tournaments, and our leagues. Whether at the city level, district level, or eventually even at the block level, we must create opportunities for young boys and girls to compete, g...

Tension gripped the premises of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council as hundreds of residents from Hima Sohra staged a protest, waving red flags and demanding the Council to issue a sanad to the Syiem chosen by the Hima. Protesters raised slogans against the Executive Committee led by the VPP, questioning its understanding of traditional customs and authority. After nearly an hour of demonstration, it was learnt that the Executive Committee agreed to invite around 20 representatives from Hima Sohra for discussions. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation as talks are expected to address the ongoing standoff between the Council and the Hima.