Meghalaya

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...

Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui has written to the Union Education Minister seeking inclusion of Khasi and Garo in the Central Board of School Education (CBSE)’s scheme of languages, warning that students in Meghalaya will be at a “disadvantage” under the board’s new three-language policy from 2026–27. “Recently, the CBSE has mandated that the three languages – R1, R2 and R3 – and in the scheme of language of CBSE, Khasi and Garo are not there. So, it would be very difficult for the students of Meghalaya because Khasi and Garo are not included in the 44 languages of the CBSE,” Rymbui told reporters on Wednesday. He said Khasi and Garo are currently offered in CBSE schools only till Class VIII, as mandated by the RTE and National Education Policy for mother tongue instruction at th...

The Meghalaya High Court has taken a stern stand against the unchecked flow of illegal minerals, initiating a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to address large-scale violations along National Highway 206. The court’s intervention follows alarming reports of boulders and minerals being transported illegally toward the Bangladesh border, often under a "disturbing pattern of inaction" by local authorities. A Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice H.S. Thangkhiew, acted on a formal communication supported by compelling video and photographic evidence. The court noted that a significant number of trucks were operating without registration plates, valid challans, or mandatory transport documents. Describing the situation as "prima facie visible and real,...

A discarded bag sparked panic among residents of Laban Lumshatsngi on Wednesday after it wassuspected to be a bomb. The bag was found abandoned near a transformer, raising alarm among locals. One alert resident who noticed the unattended item immediately informed the police. Responding swiftly, a bomb squad rushed to the scene and carried out an examination. However, after a thorough inspection, authorities confirmed that the item was merely an empty bag, posing no threat.Speaking on the incident, the Rangbah Shnong (local headman) of Lumshatsngi, said that CCTV footage will be reviewed to identify the person responsible for leaving the bag at the site.

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar, on Tuesday, April 21, indicated that discussions with Assam over the long-pending border dispute will resume only after a new government is formed in the neighbouring state. Addressing reporters, Dhar said the next phase of talks hinges on Assam constituting its regional committees. “Dialogue with the counterpart is a continuous process. Let us wait till the new government is formed in Assam, and we will continue the discussion. That is very clear,” he said. He added that uncertainty over leadership on Assam’s side remains, stating, “As of now, we don't know who will be the chairman from their side as the new government is yet to be formed.” Assam went to the polls for its 126-member Legislative Assembly on April 9, with countin...

Electioneering for the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) is set to undergo a massive transformation as the state government has intensified its efforts to introduce an indigenous-based electoral framework for the GHADC. Creation of a dedicated Scheduled Tribe (ST)-exclusive electoral roll for GHADC was a long-pending demand of the indigenous communities. The government proposal to create the new electoral roll is aimed at safeguarding the demographic and political integrity of tribal populations in Garo Hills. The proposed framework will ensure that only ST voters participate in GHADC elections, thereby keeping governance in Sixth Schedule areas firmly within the hands of tribal representatives, according to officials. The government maintains that the initiative ...

The Meghalaya High Court on Tuesday disposed of a PIL challenging the proposed Greenfield High-Speed Corridor through Ri-Bhoi district after the state and central authorities assured strict compliance with statutory norms and environmental safeguards. A division bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W Diengdoh was hearing PIL filed by Pynskhemlang Sohtun against the State of Meghalaya, Deputy Commissioner Ri-Bhoi, NHIDCL, and the Union Ministries of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Road Transport & Highways. The petitioner had raised concerns over land acquisition, environmental impact, and proximity of the project to sacred sites including Lum Sohpetbneng. In affidavits before the court, the respondents denied that land acquisition was being carri...

The Meghalaya government has initiated steps to introduce a separate electoral roll exclusively for Scheduled Tribe (ST) voters in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), in a move aimed at strengthening the protection of indigenous communities.Officials said the proposal is intended to ensure that only tribal voters take part in elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, thereby keeping decision-making within the framework of traditional tribal governance. The plan has been a long-standing demand of indigenous groups in the Garo Hills region. The government believes that such a system will help preserve the demographic balance and political control of tribal communities. It is also expected to protect long-standing customs and land rights in areas governed un...