Meghalaya

Police and rescue personnel on Sunday recovered the body of an unidentified person from a water-filled coal mine shaft in East Jaintia Hills district. The body was retrieved from a coal mine shaft at Moolait Bri Sumer village after local residents alerted authorities about a corpse floating inside the pit. Police and rescue teams, assisted by the State Disaster Response Force, later carried out the recovery operation. East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Pankaj Kumar Rasgania said the operation was difficult due to the depth of the shaft and the waterlogged condition of the abandoned mine. “The body had likely been there for a few days, and we do not yet know the circumstances behind this tragedy. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination and further details will em...

The Meghalaya government has constituted a Commission of Inquiry headed by retired judge T. Vaiphei to investigate the incidents that led to unrest and violence in the Garo Hills region following the filing of nomination papers for the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council on March 9. According to an official notification issued by the state government, the Commission has been constituted under Section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act in view of the violence, social unrest, and the resulting loss of lives and property in the region. The inquiry panel, chaired by Justice (Retd.) Vaiphei, has been tasked with examining the circumstances that led to the March 9 incident in West Garo Hills and preparing a comprehensive fact-finding report on the acts or omis...

: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Transport Sniawbhalang Dhar on Friday said the government will not “bulldoze” railway projects in the Khasi-Jaintia region, stressing that implementation will depend on taking all stakeholders on board. Asked about the status of the proposal for railway projects in the region, Dhar said, “We are still negotiating with the stakeholders. That is why the government never bulldozes things.” Mentioning about an all-party committee constituted last year to discuss the issue, he said, “An all-party committee was constituted last year. It takes time. It may take 10-15 meetings because we need to take everybody on board.” On why the Garo Hills region appeared more receptive to railway projects, Dhar said, “Our people are different from place to place...

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...