HC takes suo moto notice of ‘land grabbing’
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Chief Justice of Gauhati High court has taken a suo moto notice of the allegation against SP Mahanta, the former Additional Advocate General of Meghalaya, about land grabbing and forgery.
The High Court has fixed the hearing of the case on Wednesday.
Mahanta resigned from his post last week following pressure from different quarters including the Government over the allegations.
One Tushar Nath Bahttacharjee, an NRI based in Australia, had alleged that Mahanta had submitted forged signature and produced an imposter to take possession of the former’s 14,285-sq. feet property in Lower Lachumiere here.
A legal suit was filed in the Shillong district court in 2004 by Bhattacharjee and his two sisters, aged between 70 and 80 years, against Mahanta and his wife for the alleged illegal encroachment.
Meanwhile, the CSWO, which has been pursuing the case in support of the plaintiff, welcomed the initiative of the judiciary.
“Now people will have faith in judiciary,” CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said adding, “None of the lawyers here dared to take up a case against the senior advocate.”
An FIR was filed against Mahanta in March 2005, but before he could be arrested, he managed an anticipatory bail.
Source: The Shillong Times
NE buys 1200 MW power
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The North-East, known to be a potential powerhouse, produces only around 900 MW of electricity while the states in the region buy around 1200 MW of power from the Power Grid, the Grid’s CMD SK Chaturvedi said here on Monday.
He said the Grid supplies 100-50 MW of power to Meghalaya where the peak requirement is around 250 MW.
The region will have 5,000 MW of power by 2014 for consumption, Chaturvedi said, adding, four key projects coming up in the region would be on stream by 2013-14.
“The 740 MW Palatana thermal project executed by ONGC in Tripura and NTPC’s Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station (750 MW) would be exclusively for the region. The Palatana project should be commissioned by end of this year or early next year,” he said on the sidelines of the IIM Shillong convocation here.
They along with NEEPCO’s Kameng hydroelectric project and NHPC’s 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri project in Arunachal project – both will contribute 50 per cent of its power to the region.
Other smaller projects would give the region around 5,000 MW for consumption in the next three to four years, the company’s CMD said.
In view of the upcoming mega power projects, Power Grid plans to augment its evacuation capacity by putting up transmission lines worth about Rs 25,000 crore in the region.
To draw power from the Lower Subansiri project, a transmission project worth Rs 12,000 crore has been recently awarded and it could one of the world’s biggest transmission projects, Chaturvedi said.
“We hope that the Lower Subansiri project would be commissioned by 2013-2014,” he said.
“But the states must do their part with regards to sub transmission. They have to strengthen their transmission lines so that the power can be passed on to the consumers,” he added. (With inputs from PTI)
Source: The Shillong Times
Rebel NCP MLA to join Cong after end of term
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Suspended NCP MLA Adolf Lu Hitler R Marak, who is known for his proximity to the Congress camp, declared that he would stay under the present party’s banner till the next election even as the NCP has warned Marak of attracting disqualification if he shifted his allegiance now.
“I am willing to leave the NCP and join the Congress, but the anti-defection law would not permit me to do so unless I resign as an MLA,” The rebel MLA admitted on Monday in the wake of news reports about his plan to leave the party.
“I will surely join Congress at the end of the term,” Marak asserted while going to the extent of urging all the NCP MLAs and functionaries to leave party and join the ruling party.
He was suspended from the party even when he was the Chief Whip of the Opposition in the Assembly last year following his allegations that NCP supremo PA Sangma had failed to serve the people of Garo Hills despite representing the region for long years both in the State and at the Centre.
While Marak, despite his intentions to join the Congress, is in a helpless position due to the anti-defection law, Pynthorumkhrah MLA AL Hek escaped the legalities when he ditched the BJP and joined Congress last year.
The State BJP had filed a petition to the Speaker Charles Pyngrope to justify the decision not to disqualify Hek, the lone MLA from the party then, but to no avail.
Hek is currently serving as the Chairman of the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority.
When contacted, NCP leader Conrad Sangma said Marak at present cannot resign from the party and join another without quitting as an MLA.
On Marak’s allegations against Purno Sangma, the Opposition Leader said, “How can he question the intelligence of the people of Garo Hills who have been voting for PA Sangma for the last 30 years.”
He should remember that he won the elections because of the help of PA Sangma, Conrad asserted.
Source: The Shillong Times
Cement cess
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Cabinet on Monday approved the draft rules of the Meghalaya Cement Cess Act, 2010, imposing a tax of Rs 20 on each metric tonne of cement manufactured and produced in the State. With the State producing six million tonnes of cement annually, the Government is expecting to earn revenue to the tune of Rs 12 crore per year. The cement cess would be utilised in various social sectors like sports and education.
Source: The Shillong Times
Normalcy back to Langpih
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Normalcy has returned to Langpih following a tiff between two communities over possession of an area of cultivable land. No untoward incident was reported from the area since the tension broke out last week, West Khasi Hills SP Dr N Raja Marthandan said on Monday. On Friday, a group of people allegedly accused one Dominik Wahlang and Rosting Snar, both from Langpih village, of encroaching into their own land and threatened them to stop cultivation, leading to the tiff between the two communities.
“A sub-inspector has been sent to the village who is keeping a close vigil on the entire situation besides a platoon of force has already been deployed in the area to thwart any untoward incident,” the SP said.
Langpih has been the centre of Meghalaya-Assam boundary dispute since four people were killed in “indiscriminate firing” by Assam police last year.
Source: The Shillong Times
Institutes of governance, entrepreneurship
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Cabinet has also approved the setting up of two institutes – Institute of Governance and Institute of Entrepreneurship with an allocation of Rs 5 crore for each institute.
The Institute of Governance has been designed for providing trainings to government officials to improve the system of governance and ensure better delivery system with transparency and accountability.
The Institute of Entrepreneurship would help provide training to various prospective entrepreneurs on skill development and capacity building besides holding career counselling programmes at school level.
“At the moment, a question has always been raised about employability of the youth from the State. It was on this ground that we are coming with such courses,” Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said.
Source: The Shillong Times
State agency to handle NREGA funds
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government has finally decided to constitute the State Rural Agency of Meghalaya (SRAM) through which the funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) would be routed to the beneficiaries.
“We have approved the proposal submitted by the Community and Rural Development (C&RD) development for constituting of the SRAM in the State,” Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma told reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Monday.
Implementation of the MNREGA work suffered setbacks in the past in the State due to the delay in release of funds by the Union Ministry for Rural Development.
During December last year, many of the job card holders did not receive their wages especially in East Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills due to the fund delay.
To address this problem, the C&RD department in July last year had suggested the State Government for creation of its own State fund.
However, the matter had been pending with the Finance department for quite sometime before the Cabinet decided to constitute the SRAM on Monday.
Besides ensuring the smooth flow of funds, the Chief Minister said, the SRAM would also ensure timely payment of wages to the job card holders.
“The rural development agency would also ensure smooth transfer of funds from the respective deputy commissioner’s office to the various block development offices even if there is a delay in release of the funds from the Centre,” he asserted.
Besides, SRAM would look into various other aspects of the MNREGA including allegations about misappropriation of funds etc.
SWRP vehicles: Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved a minor amendment to the guidelines of the Special Rural Work Programme (SWRP), allowing the Government to seize the vehicles which were purchased under SWRP but are not in proper use.
As per the new guidelines, the vehicles would have Government registration in the name of the beneficiary, who is going to run the vehicle. As of now, the SRWP vehicles have private registration numbers.
“With this new guideline, vehicles purchased by the MLAs like ambulance and buses for community use under the SWRP would come under Government scanner,” Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said.
The respective deputy commissioners would take up complaints about such vehicles not being used for the purpose they were purchased, he added.
Source: The Shillong Times
CBI to probe Rozer and BSEM chairman murder case
By Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 28: The government will ask the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the alleged murder of Irom Rozer by minister Biren’s son on March 20 last and as well as the murder of N Kunjabihari, chairman of the Board of Secondary Education Manipur by misctreants on January 11 of this year.
A Cabinet meeting of the SPF government approved the proposal of the state Home Department to handover the two cases to the CBI, an official source said. The cabinet meeting, started from 2 pm and ended around 6 pm.
The Cabinet agreed to entrust the CBI to investigate into the two cases considering the sensitive nature of the cases and in accordance to the demands from various sections of the society, including the JACs formed in connection with the two shooting incidents, a highly reliable source said.
Police department also wanted to handover the cases to an independent investigating agency, the source disclosed.IFCD minister N Biren’s son, N Ajay (27) is currently in judicial custody along with his four friends, who were with him at the time of commission of the crime. Police booked them under section 302 (murder)/34 of IPC read with section 27 of Arms Act.
Apart from demanding resignation of the IFCD minister, the family of the victim, opposition political parties and civil societies have been demanding a probe by an independent investigating agency preferably by the CBI into the murder case.
Earlier in the day, a sit-in-protest was staged at Wangkhei Angom Leikai demanding the resignation of N Biren as minister. Participants in the sit-in protest insisted that Biren should resign from the ministership on moral grounds since his son has surrendered to the police.
Befitting punishment should be awarded to the culprit(s) in the murder of Rozer, they further demanded. Around 60 people participated in the sit-in-protest which was begun from around 10 am and went on till 4 pm.
N Kunjabihari, the chairman of the BSEM, was shot dead by some miscreants in his office chamber located at the highly secured Bapupara area on the evening of January 11, 2011. Police had arrested two persons, Potshangbam Opendro alias Pukchao (43) of Mayang Imphal Konchak and Yumnam Somendro @ Tiken (35) of Churachandpur Thengra Leirak presently residing at Thangapat Konung Leikai, in connection with the murder of BSEM chairman and are in judicial custody till date.
They were booked by the Imphal PS under section 302 of IPC, 25(1-B) of Arms Act and 16/20 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act. They were arrested following investigations of cell phone number 8974893522. Local newspapers had reported that one Brojendro Luwang had used the phone number to threaten Kunjabihari of dire consequences if he became the BSEM chairman.
The demand for handing over the case to CBI has been a long pending demand of various sections of the society as well as political parties. The cabinet also approved the recommendation to the Governor for prolongation of the 10th session of the ninth state Assembly, amalgamation of the Tribal Development and Hills with MOBC and to upgrade 364 government primary schools in hill districts to upper primary level and 134 lower primary schools to primary level.
Other agenda discussed and approved by the cabinet were appointment of coaches of rowing, canoeing, kayaking and wresting events in the youth affairs and sports department, to fill up 12 vacant posts of physicians of homeopathic, AYUSH and medicinal plants in the state health department.
Appointment of retired L Kulachandra as under secretary (DP/Cabinet) on contract basis for one year was also approved by the cabinet.
Reserved forest area in Manipur reducing: reports
By Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 28: Amidst the alarming decrease of total forest stock, Manipur has lost 28.35 sq km of total reserved forest area in the last eight years, an analysis of official reports indicate.
According to the State of Forest Report 2003, by Forest Survey of India Dehradun, the total reserved forest cover of Manipur was 1467 sq km, 8.6% of the total forest area of 17,219 sq km. While, according to a state’s own report, it has been reduced to 1038.65 sq km, as on October, 2010.
Again, out of the total 28.35 sq km lost reserved forest area, 16.28 sq km was due to encroachment, the report indicates. Except the Jiribam division out of the eight divisions of the state forest department, reserved forest were under encroachment.
Maximum encroachment of reserved forest area was reported in Tamenglong division, in which, of the total 204.65 sq km area, 8.16 sq km had been encroached. 2.92 sq km of the total 193.08 sq km reserved forest area under Northern forest division, Senapati and Ukhrul districts, was lost due to encroachment, the report maintained.
As per Manipur Forest Rules 1971, the Chief Conservator of Forest and the Forest Officer-in-charge of the division, has the power to evict summarily any unauthorised person who occupies or continues to occupy any land under the control of the forest department.
In case of resistance by the encroachers, the CCF/Officer in-charge of the divisions needs to bring the matter to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner who shall render necessary assistance through the police or other agencies to evict the trespassers.
However, it is learnt from sources that the department had not sought the assistance of the DCs concerned for eviction of the encroachers. No reasons were recorded in the departmental records too, it is further learnt.
For ensuring protection of the reserved forest, construction and erection of boundary pillars is necessary. State forest department has taken up erection of boundary pillars for a length of 1235 km. However, source revealed erection of only 93.50 km (8%) of the total length leaving 1141.50 km not demarcated.
The audit of the CAG in respect of Manipur for the year ended March 31, 2010 pointed out the forest department and state government, in particular, for not framing a specific state forest policy. The department did not fix any specific targets for demarcation of reserved forests, it states.
During 2009-10, there was a shortfall of 750 hectares in plantations, 790 hectares and 770 hectares in maintenance of one and two year plantations respectively even though the aim of the forest department is forest management in the state including wildlife, biodiversity and habitats for management and rehabilitation of ecology balance and economic development of the people of the state.
The department had without authorisation expended Rs. 53.59 lakh meant for preparation of a working plan, regeneration activities and protection of forest, the report alleged.
Jessami War Memorial unveiled in Imphal
By Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 28: Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh today unveiled the Jessami War Memorial Monument erected at the traffic point near the CM Bungalow. The ceremony was attended by MLAs, Bijoy Koijam, T Mangibabu, Chief Secretary Maj Gen DS Poonia, GOC, DS Hooda of 57th Mountain Division, Colonel, RN Singh of Assam Regiment among others.
According to DS Hooda, who talked on the sideline of the function, the memorial monument has been erected to commemorate the battle that was fought between the Assam Regiment and Japanese Army at Ukhrul’s Jessami during World War-II. The battle fought on this day, March 28, in 1944 was the first battle that the Assam Regiment fought with the Japanese Army in the soil of the country, he recalled.
Troopers of 31 division of Assam Regiment fought the battle bravely and inflicted casualties to a large number of the Japanese Army, he said terming the battle field as one of the major battles that was fought during WW-II.
He further recalled that the Assam Regiment was established on January 15, 1941 and many people from the north east states are serving in the regiment. Among the brave heroes of the Regiment was the former Chief Minister of Manipur, Maharaj Kumar Priyobarta. He served in the regiment during WW-II.
Speaking at the ceremony, CM reminded government assurance of a fair investigation in the Irom Rozer murder case and said that government will not leave any stone unturned in delivering justice to the family of the victim. A transparent and fair investigation is going on, he said.Be patient, let us wait for the outcome of the investigation, he urged the people reaffirming that the government will deliver justice.
