‘Rise of HIV/AIDS in Jaintia Hills alarming’
From Our Correspondent
JOWAI The Shillong Times: “The number of HIV Aids infected in Jaintia Hills district is alarming,” said Dr J Buam, at a sensitization programme for churches on Church Response to HIV/AIDS on the topic ‘Scenario of HIV/AIDS in Jaintia Hills.’ The programme was organised by Mih-myntdu Community Social Welfare Association (MCSWA) at Youth Centre, Presbyterian Church, Jowai on Wednesday.
Dr Buam, in charge of ICTC Jowai Civil Hospital said that Jaintia Hills alone has 73 infected persons, out of which 32.68 percent were female and 25 percent male. Buam also informed that very few persons had come forward for tests, and thus it was very difficult to estimate the number of persons infected with the virus.
The youngest HIV infected was found to be a three-year old child while the oldest is a forty-year-old person.
In the age group of less than 14 years the number of persons infected is 1.52 percent, in the age group 14 to 24 years; 9.10 percent, in the age group 24 to 40; 30 to 40 percent while those between 40 to 49 years; 60 to 70 percent.
Having multiple sexual partners were the main mode of transmission of HIV AIDs which is about 55.48 percent. Other modes of transmission are through prenatal transmission accounting 1.62 percent, 0.76 percent through sharing of syringes and none through blood transfusion.
HIV/AIDS infection has been detected in almost in every block in Jaintia Hills
“The condition is alarming, and such a situation can go out of hand any moment,” said Dr Buam.
Rev B Makan from Manipur was the main resource persons in the programme who spoke on the topic ‘Church Response to HIV/AIDs.”
“The church needs to know about HIV/AIDS, church leaders need not know how to treat the disease but they need to know how it is spread and help prevent it,” said Rev Makan.
Truck stolen Shillong
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG The Shillong Times: A truck (ML05/F-9567) was stolen from Katahbari in Guwahati recently. Handyman of the truck one Mandal Ali from Gorchuk, Guwahati was also missing along with the truck from a parking lot in Guwahati.
Food items distributed
From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The Lions Club of Cement Panorama, Meghalaya in collaboration with the Jaintia Hills Cements Manufacturers Association (JHCMA) distributed food items to over 50 families affected by thunderstorm at Ratacherra village in Jaintia Hills District on Wednesday.
The food items was distributed at a meeting in the presence of the ADC in charge Khliehriat Sub-Division, E Kharmalki, besides other dignitaries.
FKJGP against drilling in Balpakram National Park
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG The Shillong Times: The FKJGP (Garo Hills) division has strongly opposed the proposed exploratory drilling inside the Balpakram National park in Garo Hills.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here, FKJGP Garo Hills division general secretary RA Sangma said, “Balpakram park is a sacred place for the achik people and we strongly oppose the proposed drilling in the park.”
It may be mentioned that the proposed exploratory drilling in the park by department of atomic energy has received criticism from different quarters including the banned militant outfit Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).
List of Parliamentary Secretaries
Sl.No. Names of Parliamentary Department allotted
Secretaries
1. Abdus Saleh To assist Chief Minister i/c Taxation,
Ministers i/c Home (Police) and Transport. 2. Shitlang Pale To assist Chief Minister. i/c PWD (Build ings), and non-Conventional Energy. 3. SW Rymbai To assist Dy. Chief Minister i/c Mining & Geology and Minister i/c Printing & Station ery, and Minister Fisheries .. 4. Samuel M. Sangma To assist Dy. Chief Minister i/c Mining & Geology, And Ministers Food & Civil Sup plies and Water Resources. 5. Nehlang Lyndoh To assist Chief Minister i/c Commerce & In dustries And Minister C.& R.D. 6. Francis P.R. Sangma To assist Chief Minister i/c HortIculture and Minister Power. 7. Pynshngain Syiem To assist Chief Minister i/c Agriculture and Ministers Social Welfare and Food & Civil Supplies.
8. Dr. P.W. Khongjee To assist Dy. Chief Minister i/c Health & Family Welfare and Ministers Tourism and GAD.
9. Ismail Marak To assist Ministers Public Health Engineer ing & Transport.
10. Limison D. Sangma To assist Ministers Excise and Forests &
Environment.
11. Saleng Sangma To assist Dy. Chief Minister Animal Hus bandry & veterinary and Ministers PWD (Roads) and Home (Jails).
12. L Rymbui To assist Chief Minister i/c Border Areas
Development.
13. Sniawbhalang Dhar, To assist Chief Minister i/c Housing and Minister PWD. (Roads).
14. Coming One Y mbon To assist Ministers i/c Sericulture & Weav ing, and Soil Conservation. 15. Dr. A. Pariong To assist Ministers Transport and Secre tariat Administration Department.
16. Donkupar Massar To assist Chief Minister i/c Weights & Meas ures.
17. Remington Pyngrope To assist Dy. Chief Minister i/c Sports & Youth Affairs and Minister Public Health Engineering.
Traditional body destroys tourist view point Sutnga Elaka Dorbar claims half of Nongkhlieh Elaka
JOWAI (The Shillong Times): A tourist view point constructed by the Saipung C&RD Block at Shnongrim village was allegedly destroyed by a group of over 150 persons last Friday. A few roadside tea stalls were also brought down by the group.
The persons who belong to Sutnga Elaka were reported to have gone to the spot in around 35 vehicles and bulldozers and illegally brought down the government construction located near the famous Krem Labit cave.
“We had organised a demarcation drive on Friday”, said Dolloi of Sutnga, Erodit Sutnga adding that the demarcation drive started from Lad Le-lad up to Shnongrim village. The demarcation was done within the jurisdiction of Sutnga Elaka”, claimed the Dolloi Sutnga.
Sutnga informed that they have decided to dismantle the tourist view point as the Block Office had not obtained any permission from the Elaka to set it up in the first place. The Block Office, however claimed that the construction was done only after duly obtaining permission from the Elaka Nongkhlieh and the Shnongrim dorbar shnong.
The tourist view point was constructed under the special project of the DRDA that was initiated in 2006.
Meanwhile, one person also died on the spot while another was seriously injured after one of the JCBs used for dismantling the view point overturned. The deceased has been identified as Rajendra Bahadur Yogi (15) a helper of the bulldozer and the injured; Yogi Bahadur Pun is the driver.
Besides breaking down the structure, the Sutnga Elaka Dorbar also demarcated a fresh elaka boundary claiming half of the Nongkhlieh Elaka. “The Sutnga Elaka has claimed almost half of the entire Nongkhlieh Elaka”, alleged Dolloi of Nongkhlieh, Da-o Sukhlain.
After the division, only one-fourth of Tongseng village that falls under Nongkhlieh Elaka was left under Nongkhlieh Elaka while the remaining has been claimed by Sutnga Elaka.
The demarcation mark was made right down the football ground situated in the middle of the village.
Nongkhlieh Elaka strongly condemned the barbarian act of the Sutnga Elaka elders. “This is a barbarous act. They want to claim the areas as Nongkhlieh is rich in mineral resources including coal and limestone,” said some of the residents of Nongkhlieh Elaka.
The Dolloi of Nongkhlieh has taken up the matter with the Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner and the Chief Executive Member, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, JHADC CEM, Hambertus Nongtdu informed that the Boundary Committee of the JHADC has directed all Elaka heads to mark their respective boundaries and prepare a sketch map and the same be submitted to the office for permanent settlement of the Elaka boundaries in Jaintia Hills.
Houses torched in Langpih
From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN The Shillong Times: And angry mob of around 400 people torched two houses belonged to families of a particular community, fueling communal tension in the disputed Langpih area along Meghalaya-Assam border.The two houses, according to the Sorbar Shnong of Langpih, were of illegal settlers and had been asked for shifting from that area several times.
“As they did not pay any heed to the repeated warnings, around 400 people led by the Dorbar Shnong went there on Monday to remove the houses,” Swingly Samakha, the Sordar Shnong of Langpih told The Shillong Times.
The Khasi group clashed with the other group waiting with swords and spears and later their houses were burnt down by the angry mob, the headman said.
Cyclone flattens 50 houses
From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN The Shillong Times: Cyclonic storm wrecked havoc and flattened as many as 50 houses Mawdiangsnam village in West Khasi Hills district on Monday night. The storm hit the region along Assam-Meghalaya border near the disputed Langpih at about 9.30 p.m. damaging property and standing crops especially in Mawdia-ngsnam, Nongmawlong, Nongma, and Umyiap villages. However, local headmen, told The Shillong Times that they did not inform the authorities about the damage as “government often turn a blind eye toward their problems.”
KSU calls blockade
From Our Correspondent
JOWAI The Shillong Times: The KSU has called a 36-hour blockade for vehicles coming to and from Assam in Jaintia Hills district from Friday demanding punishment for eight miscreants involved in assaulting a youth from Ratacherra village recently.
The proposed road blockade from 10am on April 30 to 10 pm on May 1 will be “enforced” at Malidor on Assam-Meghalaya border in east Jaintia Hills district.
On March 19, one Kitbok Dhar (18) of Ratacherra village was badly assaulted by eight persons from Assam accusing him to be a ‘Khasi militant.’ Kitbok was seriously injured and was treated at Silchar Medical College.
The culprits have been identified as Devendra Baisnab, Sudhir Das, Faruk Chowdhuri, Tipu Chowdhuri, Joylal Baisnab, Alamwir Hussein Laskar, Sanju Teron and Sonabasi Das all from Cachar district of Assam.
Though the KSU took up the matter with Gumrah Police Station, no action has been taken so far, compelling them to call the blockade, the KSU Jaintia Hills unit said.
Mild quake
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG The Shillong Times: A light intensity earthquake rocked Shillong and surrounding areas at 7.51 pm here on Tuesday. The epicentre of the 4.3 magnitude earthquake was at southern Manipur.
Govt bows to deficit teachers’ pressure Revised pay from May
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG The Shillong Times: Succumbing to threats of yet another strike by the deficit school teachers unless their demands for salary hike as per the recommendations of the 4th pay Commission were met, the government on Tuesday announced that teachers would draw their enhanced salary from next month.
The State Cabinet on Tuesday decided to pay revised salaries to the deficit school teachers w.e.f. April 1. The revised salary will have retrospective effect from January 1, 2007 but the government could not fix any timeframe for disbursement of the 40 per cent arrears due to “non-availability of funds”.
The decision in the first ever Cabinet meeting of the Dr Mukul Sangma-led MUA Government came a day after the teachers under the banner of Khasi-Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) announced another phase of agitation from Wednesday to protest the delay in the payment of their revised pay scale and 40 per cent arrears.
Coming out of the Cabinet meeting Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said the deficit school teachers will get their salaries as per the revised pay scale recommended by the 4th Pay Commission from next month.
Altogether 7172 teachers of deficit senior secondary, higher secondary, upper primary and lower primary schools teachers will benefit from the 4th Pay Commission recommendation.
She stated that the State would need an amount of Rs 150 crore annually for the extension of the pay scale and the release of 40 per cent arrears.
Besides, extending the pay scale will also have an additional financial implication of Rs 5.41 crore per month, according to the minister.
“The annual burden of bearing the teachers’ salary will amount to Rs 65 crore,” she said.
On the release of 40 per cent arrears, for which the State requires Rs 210.99 crore on the state’s exchequer, as demanded by deficit teachers, the minister said the arrears would be released as soon as the funds are available with the department.
Meanwhile, the Education Minister and Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma made an appeal to the deficit teachers not to take the agitation path again as it would make adverse impact on the studies of the students.
On the other hand, KJDSTA president said the association is yet to have any formal intimation from the government on the Cabinet decision but pointed out that government has not made any commitment toward their key demand for payment of 40 per cent arrears.
“We will accept the government decision to pay the salary as per the revised scale w.e.f. April 1 ‘only for the time being’,” he said.
However, the association was yet to make any decision to withdraw their three-day agitation from Wednesday following the Cabinet announcement.
Unitarian Day to be local holiday: The State government has decided to declare Unitarian Day as a local holiday.
The State Cabinet took this decision here on Tuesday.
The Cabinet also decided give more time to the State Finance Department to prepare certain reports as per the Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Rules, 2006.
The Finance Department had earlier sought some more time to prepare certain reports which are to be placed before the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the State Cabinet also cleared the Meghalaya Police Tele communication Service Rules.
