Meghalaya

The autumn session of Meghalaya Assembly will be held from September 8-12, Speaker Thomas A Sangma said on Wednesday. He made the announcement after chairing a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the assembly. The five-day session will have three days reserved for government business and two days for private members' business, Sangma told reporters. The session will begin with government business on Monday, including the presentation of supplementary demands for grants and appropriation for 2025-2026. Wednesday and Friday have been designated specifically for voting on these supplementary grant demands, highlighting their importance to the state's fiscal planning. The Meghalaya Appropriation (No. III) Bill, 2025, is scheduled for introduction, consideration and passage ...

The Meghalaya High Court pulled up the Centre and the state government over the delay in executing the expansion of the Shillong airport, despite repeated judicial directions to expedite the process. A division bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh on Wednesday observed that while both the Centre and the state government were aware of the critical importance of extending the runway to accommodate larger aircraft, their actions reflected an "absolutely usual government pace" rather than the urgency the project demands. The court noted that Rs 72.17 crore has already been given to the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) to acquire 11.75 acres of land from private owners. However, no sale or transfer agreements have been executed so far. Instea...

Security along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya has been significantly tightened ahead of Independence Day celebrations as part of ‘Operation Alert,’ a Border Security Force (BSF) official said on Tuesday. The operation is being conducted in close cooperation with Meghalaya Police and other local agencies. Additional BSF troops have been deployed in forward areas to ensure enhanced surveillance and control. Key measures include intensified area domination, continuous patrolling around the clock, surprise naka checks, and riverine patrols aimed at closing any gaps along the border. The operation particularly focuses on preventing cattle smuggling, illegal crossings, and the movement of contraband. Inspector General OP Upadhyay of BSF’s Meghalaya Frontier said, “Operation Alert r...

A Bangladeshi allegedly involved in a cross-border intrusion and abduction bid in Meghalaya's South West Khasi Hills district died after being assaulted by local villagers, police said on Tuesday. The deceased, identified as Akram from Jenaghati in Sherpur district of Bangladesh, was caught by residents of Kaitha Kona village around 4:30 PM on Monday. Superintendent of Police Banrap Jyrwa said the villagers handed over the injured man to the police, who was then taken to Maheshkhola Primary Health Centre. He succumbed to his injuries there.

Security was beefed up along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya in view of Independence Day, a BSF official said on Tuesday. 'Operation Alert' is being carried out in close coordination with the Meghalaya Police and other law enforcement agencies, he said. Additional troops have been deployed in the forward areas, he said. The operation includes intensified area domination, round-the-clock patrolling, surprise naka checks, and riverine patrols to plug border gaps, with a focus on countering cattle smuggling, contraband movement, and illegal crossings, he added. "Operation Alert reflects the force's commitment to safeguarding national security during the festive season and preventing any disruption by inimical forces," said OP Upadhyay, the inspector general of BSF's Meghalaya Fro...

The Central Silk Board’s Sub-Station for Pilot Cultivation (SSPC) in Kaliabari, Boko, in partnership with the District Sericulture Office of East Garo Hills, organised a one-day Muga Field Day on Monday at the muga farms in Williamnagar. The event aimed to strengthen traditional silk culture and promote sustainable livelihoods among local farmers. The programme was chaired by Shri Dharavath Saicharan, Scientist-B and In-charge of SSPC Kaliabari, who highlighted the long-term income potential of muga silk farming for the region’s farmers. District Sericulture Officer Smt. S. G. Momin and Sericulture Demonstrator Shri Charnenko Sangma encouraged farmers to adopt modern and improved rearing techniques to increase productivity and enhance the quality of muga silk. The event featured live d...

A man was critically injured after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a police officer's service pistol during a gathering at Jowai, the headquarters of Meghalaya's West Jaintia Hills district, police said on Monday. The incident took place between 4:30 pm and 5 pm on Sunday when the victim, identified as Wanda-O-Najiar, was out with friends, including Sub-Inspector Wewanroy Challan, Second Officer-in-Charge of Nartiang Police Station. Police said Najiar, who was chewing betel nut, took Challan's pistol and began fiddling with it when it went off, hitting him in the head. “There was no quarrel before the incident, and it was purely accidental,” Challan later told his senior officers. Najiar was initially taken to a government hospital in Jowai, then shifted to a private ...

Security forces have arrested a fifth Bangladeshi national accused of taking part in a violent midnight raid on Rongdangai village in Meghalaya’s South West Khasi Hills district. The arrest was made late Saturday during a coordinated search by the Meghalaya Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) in the dense Chibak forest area, officials confirmed on Sunday. The suspect is believed to be part of an armed gang of eight to nine men who illegally crossed the international border around midnight on August 7. The group allegedly stormed a local shop, assaulted the shopkeeper, and fled with cash and valuables before heading back towards Bangladesh. Alert residents, aided by nearby security personnel, pursued the fleeing men immediately after the attack. Four suspects were overpowered and...

The Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in Meghalaya has issued a public health advisory, urging citizens to seek immediate medical attention at the first sign of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) to prevent potential outbreaks in the state. The advisory, released late Friday night, comes in the wake of recent GBS cases reported in Pune, Maharashtra, which have raised alarms among health authorities nationwide. GBS is a rare but serious neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves. The condition often follows infections such as respiratory illnesses, gastroenteritis, dengue, or the Zika virus. Health officials warn that early detection is critical. Symptoms such as muscle weakness, tingling or numbness starting in the legs, d...

Drug use among Meghalaya's youth starts as early as 10, far younger than in Manipur or Nagaland, where the average initiation age is 22, a recent study has found. The qualitative study, published in the Indian Journal of Public Health (April-June 2025 edition), was conducted by researchers from the Indian Institute of Public Health, Shillong, and the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society. It surveyed 128 people enrolled in opioid substitution therapy across East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills, along with 17 service providers.