Meghalaya

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has reiterated the government’s dedication to inclusive and balanced development in all regions of Meghalaya, particularly emphasizing the sustained attention and focused interventions in South Garo Hills over the past seven years. During his address on various development initiatives in the district, he reflected on his multiple visits to Baghmara and South Garo Hills, where he personally reviewed progress and initiated key development projects aimed at addressing historical deficiencies in infrastructure and public services. Sangma highlighted that South Garo Hills had operated for over 23 years without a dedicated Deputy Commissioner’s office, being housed in a sub-division office, which illustrates years of governmental neglect. He note...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on tuesday inaugurated the Counter-Insurgency Anti-Terrorism (CIAT) School and the Integrated Police Welfare Complex at Baghmara in South Garo Hills.The programme was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, Minister of Education Lahkmen Rymbui, Director General of Police I. Nongrang, Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil P. Ahammed, senior civil and police officials, and other dignitaries.Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sangma congratulated the Home and Police Departments on the completion of the Integrated Police Welfare Complex and the CIAT School.Acknowledging the vision behind the project, he commended the then Superintendent of Police and now Inspector General of Police, Davis N. R. Marak.“I would like to take this opportunity to co...

The Byrnihat Police Station in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district on Tuesday distributed awareness leaflets to truck drivers with the aim of sensitising them about traffic regulations and public road safety.The leaflets were distributed by the Byrnihat police to a large number of trucks after stopping them at 13th Mile along National Highway-6 in Ri Bhoi district.The awareness drive was led by Bah Sunny Lynrah, Officer-in-Charge of Byrnihat Police Station, in the presence of other police personnel and officers, who personally handed over the leaflets to the truck drivers.Apart from distributing the leaflets, the police also explained the importance of following traffic laws to ensure the safety of commuters using the highway.The awareness messages were issued in accordance with the Motor Vehicl...

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma visited Baghmara to address concerns raised by the district administration and community stakeholders, with Chief Secretary Shakil P Ahammed among the officials present. A significant point of discussion was the Baghmara Civil Hospital, where it was reported that while specialist doctors had been assigned, none had yet joined, resulting in the absence of specialist services. The current medical staffing consists of just 11 medical officers, far below the requisite 22 doctors, including specialists. Additionally, there are shortages of nursing and biomedical personnel. Despite these staffing challenges, the hospital is undergoing upgrades, including a functional blood storage unit and an operational operation theatre where Caesarean sections and...

The large-scale illegal import of fish from Bangladesh through Meghalaya's border areas has triggered concern among local traders and youth, who say the practice is severely impacting the livelihoods of indigenous fisherfolk. Reports indicate that fish is being smuggled through border belts such as Shella, Lawbah, and Dawki before being transported to markets in Byrnihat, Guwahati, and other regions. This unchecked inflow has reportedly caused heavy financial losses for local fish farmers. In response, a group of local traders and youth intercepted several pick-up vehicles in Upper Shillong on Monday to verify the source of the fish. Drivers were reportedly unable to produce valid documents, permits, or challans. While some drivers claimed the fish was sourced from areas like Mawsynram...

The Meghalaya government has started a large tree plantation programme in New Shillong Township with the aim of making the city greener, cooler and less polluted as it develops into a major urban centre. Under this project, the state plans to plant around 6,000 trees along more than 25 kilometres of roads and about 2 kilometres of road medians. The government has set aside ₹2.5 crore for the project, which will be carried out over the next five years. Officials said the work began in 2025 and will continue in phases. One of the main stretches covered under the drive is the Ummir Junction to Mawkhanur road. Along this route, the target is to plant nearly 10,000 plants, of which 6,340 saplings have already been planted along a proposed road length of 16.56 kilometres. The remaining plant...

A special court in East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya, has sentenced Sanjay Das to life imprisonment in a kidnapping-for-ransom case that has been under investigation for over a decade. The sentencing, presided over by Special Judge B. Khriam, also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on Das. The original case was reported in 2012 at Khliehriat Police Station, with charges filed under Section 364(A) of the Indian Penal Code, which addresses kidnapping for ransom. Following a comprehensive investigation led by Inspector L. Lyngkhoi, the charge sheet was submitted on July 28, 2014, culminating in a verdict delivered recently, officially announced on January 15, 2026, by the Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills. In addition to Das's conviction, the court adjudicated two other ser...

In a decisive push to make New Shillong a climate-resilient city, the Meghalaya government has launched an ambitious avenue plantation project aimed at transforming the upcoming township into one of the region’s greenest urban centres. Under the project, rolled out in 2025, the state plans to plant 6,000 trees across more than 25 km of roads and 2 km of medians, investing ₹2.5 crore over the next five years. Officials say the initiative is designed to ensure that rapid urban development does not come at the cost of ecology. The plantation drive will stretch along key arterial routes in New Shillong Township, including the Ummir Junction–Mawkhanur corridor, where 10,000 plants have been targeted, with 6,340 already planted across a proposed road length of 16.56 km. Unlike routine bea...

A special court in East Jaintia Hills has handed down a life sentence to a man convicted of kidnapping for ransom, concluding a case that has been under investigation and trial for over a decade. Sanjay Das was found guilty by Special Judge B Khriam and sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000. The conviction stems from a kidnapping caseh registered at Khliehriat Police Station in 2012 under Section 364(A) of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with kidnapping for ransom. Sanjay Das was found guilty by Special Judge B Khriam and sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 50,000. The conviction stems from a kidnapping case registered at Khliehriat Police Station in 2012 under Section 364(A) of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with kidnapping for ransom....