Meghalaya Autumn Fest to project NE
Newmai News
SHILLONG, Oct 28 – Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation along with Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF) are all set to project the rich and colourful cultures of the North Eastern region at the Shillong Autumn Festival 2011, said former Meghalaya Minister and MTDF spokesman, RG Lyngdoh.
Addressing a press conference at Shillong Press Club here, Lyngdoh said the North East has been misrepresented in the mainstream India as the region is plagued with guns, AIDS and law and order problem. He said the aim of the forthcoming festival is to dispel all the misconceptions of the region.
“Experience the North East” has been decided as this year’s theme of the Shillong Autumn Festival as the rallying point to create awareness, a place to expose and sell the natural products of the State and the North East”, Lyngdoh said.
The three-day Autumn Festival would kick off on November 4 with the Shillong Street Carnival involving the localities, schools and colleges and cultural troupes of the eight States of North East, Lyngdoh said, adding that the cultural parade would be part of the festival.
The grand finale of the festival would be shifted to the scenic Orchid Lake Resort at Barapani near here which would be represented by mega haats against the backdrop of the lake.
He also informed that the North East Cultural Extravaganza would showcase the Manipuri Krishna Ballet, Pung Cholom and Thang Ta (Martial Arts) display.
The festival would also include adverture sport, fashion and music, said Lyngdoh, adding that the visitors would also witness never seen before Acro Flights by Ace Paraglider pilots from France.
Source: Assam Tribune
Hamida’s family asks Nepal govt to continue search
October 27th, 2011
SHILLONG: The family members of Hamida G Momin has requested the Indian Embassy to ask the Nepal Government to continue searching for the body of Hamida who is till date declared ‘missing’ for over three days.
The Shillong Times spoke to a senior police official in Shillong who explained that the duration of such search operations depend from case to case. However, in case of a person going missing in a jungle or in cases like what has happened in Nepal, the police are likely to extend the search even for a month, if required or requested.
“We have requested the Indian Embassy to contact the Nepal Government to direct its military forces to continue with the search for at least 15 days”, Hamida’s elder sister Jullian G Momin said.
Further clarifying some confusion that followed the accident in Nepal, she expressed her apologies for the information given to the Press by her cousin, Robert Crosswell Shylla regarding the nonchalant attitude of the state government as well as Central government to provide support.
It may be mentioned that Shylla had complained about the adamant attitude of the government regarding this matter and also pleaded for both financial and physical support from the state government.
“I was ignorant of the fact that my relatives without my consent has let out the news that the local MLA, Limison Sangma as well as MP Agatha Sangma hasn’t done anything to help us”, she asserted.
She mentioned that following the accident a lot of supports were received from Ms Sangma, leader of the Opposition, Conrad Sangma and MLA Limison Sangma.
“Ms Agatha was the one who contacted the Indian Embassy and also arranged for accommodation in Delhi when we received information about our sister’s body being found and brought to Delhi which was wrong,” Jullian said while adding that Limison Sangma had booked four flight tickets from Guwahati to Delhi when the wrong information was received.
Meanwhile, in a statement sent to The Shillong Times on Wednesday, local MLA Limison D Sangma has termed Robert Shylla’s statements as baseless and unfounded. “I am always ready to render any help or make the family meet the Meghalaya Government for financial assistance or any other assistance”, he added.
He also appealed to the relatives of the victim to approach the concerned authorities for help and resolve the problem jointly instead of playing the blame game.
“Both Ms Agatha and Conrad Sangma were supportive and donated Rs 5000 to the family from their own pockets and we are really grateful to them. So it’s wrong to say that they have not done anything to help our sister”, Jullian added.
She also confirmed the reason behind their inability to visit Nepal to get involved in the search saying “The Indian Embassy had restricted us through the District Administration of West Garo Hills not to encourage the family members to come to Nepal and get involved in the search.”Meanwhile, The Shillong Times spoke to Robert C Sylla, cousin of missing Hamida. Robert had in an interview to this newspaper on Tuesday ( ST issue dated 25.10.2011) spoken appeals by the family to local leaders falling on deaf ears. On Wednesday, when confronted again, this time with the statement of Hamida’s sister which contradicted Robert’s allegations, Robert said it was “all a misunderstanding”. “Many relatives were saying so many things at the same time, I just want to make correction, the family members know best”, his mother added. Robert’s father and Hamida’s mother are siblings, making Robert and Hamida first cousins.
Source: The Shillong Times
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
Meghalaya okays environment schemes
Correspondent
SHILLONG, March 28 – Exhibiting concern for environment, the Cabinet today approved implementation of several new schemes in Meghalaya, including the much-talked about Integrated Basin Development and livelihood (IBD&L) programme.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said after the Cabinet meeting that an initial amount of Rs 15 crore has been earmarked for the IBD&L programme. Moreover, another ten crore has been earmarked for two other new programmes.
The IBD&L, he said, would help replenish the depleting ground water level, protect catchment areas and also integrate various development programmes for people living near water basins.
“Various agriculture, horticulture, tourism programmes would be introduced for people living near water basins and steps would be taken to protect the environment together with the stakeholders,” Sangma said. The IBD&L programme would be directly supervised by Sangma himself with the Chief Secretary, WMS Pariat and other ministers to assist him.
The Cabinet also approved the formation of Meghalaya Water Resource Agency that would help convergence of various State departments having linkages with water resource.
The agency would look into aspects of providing clean safe drinking water, protection of forest, issues related with industries and their effect on water bodies and similar other matters. Sangma said the government has set aside an initial fund of Rs 5 crore for the new agency.
The Cabinet also framed rules for enactment of the Meghalaya Cement Cess Act, 2010 that would eventually pave the way for collecting cess of Rs 20 per metric ton. The state government is likely to generate an additional Rs 12 crore annually from the cess.
“The Cement cess Act was there. Now the Cabinet approved rules to enact the Act so that cess can be levied on cement,” Sangma said. The annually cement production in the state is about six million metric ton.
Creation of Meghalaya Institute of Entrepreneurship (MIE) and Meghalaya Institute of Governance (MIG) was also approved by the Cabinet with an initial fund allotment of Rs. five crore each.
MIE would study employability of youth in the state and introduce new training and counselling programmes, while MIG would provide training to government officials to plug loopholes for better implementation of government programmes.
