Shillong

Tourism Department, has filed a police complaint against a Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Inspector over the locking of the office of the company executing the proposed Lum Shyllong Ropeway Project. Tourism Department Commissioner and Secretary Rosette Mary Kurbah confirmed the development on Wednesday. The company's office was locked following a directive from the KHADC over allegations that it had failed to obtain the required licence from the Council. The development comes amid the ongoing dispute surrounding the proposed ropeway project, with the KHADC taking action over the company's alleged non-compliance with its licensing requirements. The police complaint marks a further escalation in the matter.

Rev. Fr. John Madur, a senior Catholic priest who served as the Diocesan Administrator of the Archdiocese of Shillong, passed away at Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, on Tuesday afternoon. He was 67. Fr. Madur breathed his last at 2.50 pm on October 27, according to a notice issued by the Archdiocese of Shillong. Born on December 10, 1958, he was ordained to the priesthood on December 20, 1987, beginning a ministry that spanned nearly four decades. He served as the Diocesan Administrator following the death of Archbishop Dominic Jala in October 2019, a responsibility he held until 2021, when the Archdiocese underwent a period of transition. He also served as Vicar General and Chancellor of the Archdiocese. Beyond his ecclesiastical responsibilities, Fr. Madur was involved in initi...

Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) President Reuben Najiar and General Secretary Raymond Kharjana are out on bail following their arrest in connection with the violence during the union’s black-flag rally in Shillong. Following his release, Najiar maintained that the union’s five-point charter of demands remains on track, with some demands already fulfilled and others awaiting follow-up with the state government. “Even if the top leaders have been arrested, the demands that the union has made have paid off. Out of the five demands, some have already been fulfilled, and the other demands are on track,” Najiar said. The demands include amendments to the MRSSA, transparency in recruitment, issues concerning Shree Cement and NEIGRIHMS and others Najiar also denied the allegations of vand...

The complaint of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) against Shillong Ropeway project that the local Dorbar Shnong did not properly inform the public about the project is an internal matter of the locality, according to the state government. “The JAC raised grievances regarding how the public hearing was done. We told them this is an internal matter which the government cannot interfere with,” said Commissioner and Secretary in-charge Tourism R M Kurbah on Friday. “I cannot say if the Dorbar informed the public because I am not part of that committee,” Kurbah said a day after chairing a meeting with the JAC delegation. The established practice to proceed on any project is to take the Dorbar Shnong into confidence. “Whenever we have a project, we usually take the Dorbar into confi...

BJP MLA from Pynthorumkhrah, AL Hek, has defended the Durga Puja celebrations at RR Colony, asserting that the festivities have been held inside the temple premises for over six decades and questioning the need to shift the celebration to another location next year. Speaking on the issue, Hek maintained that the RR Colony Durga Puja was different from celebrations that set up pandals on public roads and disrupt traffic movement. “We have been celebrating Durga Puja for the last 60–70 years here in RR Colony. But we celebrate the Puja inside the temple. All the pandal and everything are inside the temple. How can you say that next year we have to shift the Durga Puja to some other vicinity?” Hek said. He asserted that the celebrations had not caused any disruption to traffic along...

Shillong will host the 5th KIO North East Zone Karate Championship 2026 from October 22 to 24, with 899 athletes, coaches, referees and team officials expected to take part in the three-day event. Organised by the Karate India Organisation (KIO), the championship will be hosted by the All Meghalaya Karate-Do Association (AMKA), with support from the Meghalaya government's Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs. The competition will take place at the Convocation Hall of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong. The championship will bring together karatekas from across the North East, providing young athletes an opportunity to compete at the zonal level and showcase their skills. The event also aims to strengthen the sport's presence in the region and encourage sporting exce...

As Durga Puja approaches, artisans are busy giving the final touches to Goddess Durga’s idols. However, behind the festive preparations, these idol-makers are facing uncertainty as the place where they have been working is soon expected to be vacated following the sale of the property. The artists have been using the premises to create idols ahead of the annual festival, putting in days of hard work to ensure the idols are ready in time for the celebrations. But with the property sold, their future at the site remains uncertain. Losing the space would mean losing their current workplace, leaving them with the challenge of finding another place to continue their work. While the city prepares to welcome Goddess Durga, the situation has raised questions about where these artisans wi...

The Meghalaya government has convened a stakeholder meeting on Thursday to discuss the proposed Shillong Peak Ropeway Project amid mounting opposition from local residents and civil society groups demanding that the project be scrapped from Lum Shyllong and relocated to a non-sensitive site. According to a notice issued by the Tourism Department on October 14, the meeting is scheduled for 2.30 pm in Committee Room-II of the Main Secretariat Building in Shillong. It will be chaired by R. M. Kurbah, Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya’s Tourism Department. The meeting will bring together key officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills, the Chief Executive Officer of the Meghalaya Ropeway Development Authority, the Superintendent of Police, th...

BJP MLA AL Hek has issued a strong message on protests, asserting that while the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful demonstrations, anyone taking the law into their own hands must face punishment. Emphasising the need to maintain law and order, Hek said protests must remain within the constitutional framework and should not involve provocation or unlawful activities. “If it is within the framework of the Constitution, a peaceful protest is allowed. There should be no provocation, and nobody should take the law into their own hands,” Hek said. Drawing a clear line between peaceful demonstrations and unlawful conduct, the BJP leader stressed that people must exercise their right to protest responsibly without violating the law. “We must have peaceful protests within t...

A heated exchange erupted in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Wednesday after Chairman Strong Pillar Kharjana rejected a Zero Hour Notice regarding the Governor’s reported return of the Council’s Amendment Land Bill, citing the lack of official communication on the matter despite it being in the public domain.Buy Maps Moving the notice, Laban MDC Ricky Shullai questioned the Chairman’s decision to disallow a discussion on a matter that he said was already in the public domain. “We as members have the privilege to bring a zero hour discussion immediately after the question hour. What will it cost you, Chairman, to allow that? Why did you decline this zero hour notice?” Shullai asked. He said the House was entitled to seek a response from the Executive Committ...