Meghalaya

Meghalaya has detected a total of 628 nationals from Bangladesh over the past five years, out of whom 194 have been deported after completion of legal procedures, according to State Home Minister Prestone Tynsong. Replying to a query in the Assembly, the minister stated that the 628 Bangladeshi nationals were identified between 2021 and February this year. During the same period, 194 individuals were deported after serving their sentences and obtaining the required travel permits from the Bangladesh Embassy. The government said it has been working to curb illegal infiltration through a strengthened anti-infiltration mechanism. As part of this system, 18 anti-infiltration check posts, gates, and customs stations have been set up at strategic locations along inter-state and India–Ban...

Mukul M. Sangma, the Leader of Opposition in Meghalaya, has called for a government investigation into alleged benami transactions and illegal land occupations along the state's border with Assam, particularly in Ri-Bhoi district. He expressed concern over land being occupied under false names of tribals, undermining protective land laws intended to preserve indigenous ownership. Sangma highlighted the demographic, legal, and administrative implications of such practices and urged the government to investigate potential misuse of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Regulation Act. He recalled similar issues during his tenure as Chief Minister, emphasizing the importance of careful land governance in border areas and advocating for enhanced enforcement and accountability to protect tribal land rig...

The Meghalaya government on Tuesday announced that the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) elections would be held on April 10.The schedule for the GHADC election was approved by the State Cabinet in Shillong on Tuesday.Cabinet Minister Wailadmiki Shylla while talking to media persons informed that the date for calling constituents to elect representatives is March 9.“The last date for filing of nomination is March 16 before 3pm, while the scrutiny of nomination will take place on the same day after 3pm. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is March17 till 3 pm,” Shylla said.“The date for finalisation and publication of valid nomination and allotment of symbol is March 18. The election will be held on April 10 from 7 am to 4 pm while the counting of votes will take place ...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed the Assembly that the state has engaged 36 individual consultants and 59 consultancy firms to support key development programmed, with payments strictly linked to performance and deliverables.Responding to a query from VPP legislator Heaving Stone Kharpran, Sangma stated that the total annual expenditure on remuneration for individual consultants stands at ₹4.35 crore for 2024–25. He clarified that consultancy firms are not paid fixed salaries but receive fees based on contractual milestones. “If they fail to deliver, they will not get paid,” he asserted.The Chief Minister noted that 19 out of 36 individual consultants—around 52 per cent—are local professionals with expertise in management, agriculture and environmental sciences. He emphas...

Meghalaya has engaged 36 individual consultants and 59 consultancy firms to support its development programmes, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told the Assembly on Tuesday, adding that payments are strictly linked to deliverables. “The total annual expenditure on monthly remuneration for individual consultants is Rs 4.35 crore for 2024-25,” Sangma said. He clarified that consultancy firms are not paid salaries but receive fees tied to contracted deliverables. “If they fail to deliver, they will not get paid.” Replying to a supplementary query from opposition VPP legislator from Mawryngkneng Heaving Stone Kharpran, the chief minister noted that 19 of the 36 individual consultants — about 52 percent — are local professionals with qualifications in management, agriculture and environmenta...

Illegal immigration took centre stage on the second day of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly's budget session, 2026, as Leader of the Opposition Mukul Sangma moved a strongly worded resolution urging the state government to act on a law that has been on the books for nearly a decade but remains largely unimplemented. At the heart of the resolution is the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016 — legislation designed to regulate the entry, exit and stay of people from outside the state. Despite the law providing a comprehensive legal framework, and the state having already identified land parcels for entry-exit points and facilitation centres along inter-state borders, the infrastructure needed to make it work has never been built. Sangma's resolution also took a poin...

The Achik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM), based in the Garo Hills, has voiced strong opposition to any review or potential weakening of the existing job quota policy in response to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's announcement regarding the presentation of an updated reservation policy report during the current Assembly budget session. In a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, AHAM insisted on maintaining the current reservation framework, emphasizing that any attempt to alter or dilute this policy would be regarded as a direct threat to the constitutional safeguards and the rights of marginalized and indigenous communities. The organization highlighted the significance of the job quota policy, stating that a rollback would betray tribal communities’ trust, reverse years ...

Meghalaya's Cabinet has approved the tabling of the State Reservation Policy Report in the state assembly on Wednesday, February 18, during the ongoing Budget Session, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced on Tuesday, February 17. The report, which carries significant implications for tribal communities across the state, outlines proposed changes to how jobs and seats are allocated among the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo communities, as well as scheduled tribes, scheduled castes, and open categories. At the heart of the report is a proposal to reserve 80 per cent of government job seats for scheduled tribes, with 40 per cent each allocated to the Khasi and Garo communities. Provisions for other ST/SC groups and unreserved categories are also included. The existing reservation framework d...

Meghalaya will hold elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) on April 10, with counting of votes scheduled for April 14, the state government announced on February 16. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. Cabinet minister Wailadmiki Shylla later confirmed the dates to reporters. The gazette notification for the polls will be issued on March 9. March 16 has been fixed as the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place the same day after 3 pm, while candidates may withdraw their nominations until March 17. The final list of validly nominated candidates and the allotment of election symbols will be completed on March 18. GHADC is one of the three autonomous district councils in Meg...

Mukul Sangma, the Leader of Opposition in Meghalaya, has charged the NPP-led MDA government with enabling illegal coal mining through a "well-scripted modus operandi." This accusation follows the tragic death of 33 laborers in an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills on February 5. Sangma warns that illegal coal mining activities will persist as long as the current government remains in power, stating that the administration appears to follow a set strategy that emboldens violators. He highlighted concerns that despite repeated calls from NGOs, political parties, and the opposition regarding illegal coal mining, such activities have only escalated over the years. The recent disaster is portrayed as a consequence of the authorities' negligence regarding illegal mining practices, with San...