Author Archives: TARIQ ABDULLAH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni water a tree after planting it, in Rome on Wednesday. (PMO)

❑Related reports on P-5

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PMO

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 20: There is no shortage of petrol and diesel in Meghalaya at present, and the recent hike in fuel prices was a decision taken by the Centre and not by the state government, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Methodius Dkhar clarified on Wednesday.

Following two price hikes within a span of five days, petrol price in Shillong has gone up to Rs 99.63 per litre while diesel is priced at Rs 90.94.

Speaking to media persons on the rise in prices of petrol, diesel and essential commodities in view of the ongoing US-Iran war, the minister urged the public not to panic, while advising people to remain cautious about the global situation.

“Do not panic, but be cautious,” Dkhar said, adding that war affects not only petroleum products but also several other commodities linked to transportation and supply chains.

(Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 20: The High Court of Meghalaya on Wednesday declined to stay the proposed public hearing scheduled for May 22 in connection with the proposed limestone mining project at Lum Syrman, Nongkhlieh Elaka in East Jaintia Hills by Shree Cements.

Hearing a writ petition filed by Bunlangki Sukhlain and 60 others, the Single Bench of Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew observed that the petitioners would be at liberty to place their objections and supporting materials before the authorities during the public hearing process.

The petitioners had challenged the proposed public hearing relating to the establishment of limestone mining in the area, contending that the project land is under their use and occupation and strongly objecting to any mining activity there.

Appearing for the petitioners, T.L. Jyrwa submitted that the Executive Summary prepared by the project proponent had wrongly described the land as barren land. He argued that the rights of the petitioners would be severely affected if the mining project proceeds and sought an interim stay on the public hearing.

However, Advocate General Amit Kumar, assisted by Additional Senior Government Advocate A.H. Kharwanlang, opposed the plea, arguing that the matter was still at a preliminary stage since the public notice issued by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board on April 17 had merely invited suggestions, comments and objections from affected persons and stakeholders.

The Advocate General further referred to an earlier order passed by the High Court on December 16, 2025 in WP(C) No. 684 of 2025 concerning the same project, wherein the court had refused to grant interim relief to stay a previous public hearing scheduled for December 19, 2025.

Senior advocate Nitish Mozika also supported the submissions made by the state and maintained that the petitioners could raise all objections during the public hearing.

After hearing the parties and examining the materials on record, the court noted that the public notice issued by the MSPCB had specifically invited objections and comments regarding the environmental aspects of the proposed project from all affected persons and stakeholders.

“In the considered view of this Court therefore, as the objection of the writ petitioners is also as to the status of the land contained in the Executive Summary, they shall be at liberty to present materials at the time of the public hearing which shall be taken into due consideration by the authorities, who are to decide the matter in accordance with law,” the court observed.

The court also stated that the petitioners would have recourse to alternative remedies if they had any issue concerning title and possession of the land in question.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on June 12.

VPP wants public hearing scrapped

The VPP’s East Jaintia Hills district committee staged a sit-in on Wednesday, demanding that the state government scrap the proposed mining project at Lumshyrman under (Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 20: Police on Wednesday arrested a Williamnagar resident on charges of uploading obscene content on social media.

The accused identified as Newbard M. Sangma allegedly uploaded sexually explicit content targeting women using vulgar language, police said, adding that a case has been registered against him at Williamnagar Police Station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, 2000.

East Garo Hills SP, S.A. Rynjah said an investigation was initiated after the authorities received information that the accused had been habitually uploading vulgar and obscene content through his Facebook account and YouTube channel.

The police officer also warned that uploading, transmitting or publishing sexually explicit material on social media platforms constitutes a cognisable offence.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 20: Three persons claiming to be members of the Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM) were arrested by police on Tuesday evening for allegedly demanding money from a business establishment at Khyndai Lad.

Confirming the incident on Wednesday, East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said the accused had allegedly demanded Rs 25,000 from a business unit located at Khyndai Lad a few days ago.

According to the SP, the accused had reportedly fixed a time on Tuesday evening to collect the money.

Personnel from Sadar Police Station laid a trap and caught the three red-handed when they arrived to collect the cash at around 6 pm.

Syiem stated that during preliminary inquiry it was found that the accused had allegedly sought “donations” using a letterhead without obtaining permission from the office of the Deputy Commissioner.

“The collection of money in such a manner amounts to extortion,” the SP added.

Police produced the accused before the court on Wednesday, which remanded them to judicial custody.

Sources said the three are residents of Bishnupur, Lumparing and Mawlai Mawdatbaki.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 20: The District and Sessions Judge of West Jaintia Hills, Noor Ain Khan, convicted former Sub-Inspector Glithstone Ch. Marak on Tuesday in connection with the custodial death of Emsalon Tariang that occurred in 1997.

According to the prosecution, on November 16, 1997, at around 1:00 AM, SI Glithstone Ch. Marak, then In-Charge of Raliang Outpost, and his staff arrested Emsalon Tariang from his residence without any stated reason. The victim’s mother alleged that the police personnel, who were intoxicated, severely beat and threatened her son inside the outpost. The following morning at around 7 am, she found her son dead and naked inside the outpost.

A case was registered at Jowai Police Station vide Case No. 104(11)97 under Sections 302/34 IPC. The case was investigated and charge-sheeted by the then Officer In-Charge, Inspector Nila Kalita.

After a trial lasting 29 years, the court found the former police (Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 20: The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education on Wednesday issued an advertisement inviting applications for the appointment to the post of Vice-Chancellor of the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU).

The move comes ahead of the comple- tion of the tenure of the incumbent VC Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla, whose term is scheduled to end on July 26. According to the advertisement, the VC, being the academic as well as administrative head of the university, is expected to be a person possessing the highest level of competence, integrity, morals and institutional commitment.

The candidate should be a distinguished academician with a minimum of 10 years’ experience as Professor in a university or 10 years’ experience in a reputed research and/or academic administrative organisation with proof of having demonstrated academic leadership. The Ministry has also stated that the applicant should preferably not be more than 65 years of age as on the closing date for receipt of applications.

The post carries a fixed pay of Rs 2,10,000 per month along with a special allowance of Rs. 11,250 and other usual allowances as admissible under university rules. It was informed that the appointment will be made from a panel of names recommended by a committee constituted under the provisions of the University Act. The advertisement has been made available on the websites of education.gov.in and nehu.ac.in. Candidates have been asked to apply online through the Ministry of Education SAMARTH (vcrec. smarth.ac.in/index.php/). The online appli- cation portal became active from 10 am on May 20 and will remain open till 5 pm on June 18, 2026.

The advertisement comes against the backdrop of a prolonged leadership vacuum at NEHU after the VC’s continued absence since November 2024. Faculty and adminis- trative staff described the absence as having created measurable operational challenges across academic and administrative func- tions.

Officials said routine decision-making on matters such as approvals for new courses, faculty recruitment, promotion cases, and sanctioning of funds has frequently stalled or been delayed.

Several departmental heads reported dif- ficulties in obtaining signatures and formal clearances for academic calendars, examina- tion schedules, research grants, affecting both teaching and research timelines, and other administrative bottlenecks.

By Our Reporter

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 20: The Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) will announce the results of the SSLC Supplementary Examination 2026 at 11 am on May 22.

According to an official press release issued on Wednesday, the supplementary examination results can be downloaded from the official MBoSE website. The Board also informed that there will be no display of results at its offices in Tura and Shillong.

Students can check their results through the websites: www.mbose.in; www.mboseresults.in; www.megresults.nic.in; www.results.shiksha; www.jagranjosh.com; www.ndtv.com and www.indianexpress.com.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 20: The Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) will announce the results of the SSLC Supplementary Examination 2026 at 11 am on May 22.

According to an official press release issued on Wednesday, the supplementary examination results can be downloaded from the official MBOSE website. The Board also informed that there will be no display of results at its offices in Tura and Shillong.

Students can check their results through the websites: www.mbose.in; www.mboseresults.in; www.megresults.nic.in; www.results.shiksha; www.jagranjosh.com; www.ndtv.com and www.indianexpress.com.

From CK Nayak

NEW DELHI, May 20: Meghalaya has emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing state economies over the past five years, reflecting a broader shift in the country’s economic growth pattern beyond the traditionally dominant industrial states, a report released by the wealth management firm Client Associates has said.

Meghalaya featured prominently in the report, posting a five-year nominal GDP CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 15.3 per cent which is higher than the national average. The study observed that although the growth came from a relatively lower economic base, the pace of expansion remained significant in percentage terms.

The national average nominal GDP growth during the same period until FY25 stood at 14.78 per cent. Interestingly, ethnic violence-hit Manipur has also recorded nominal GDP growth above 15.04 per cent during the five-year period, the study said.

Analysing the report, experts said that in Meghalaya, once a laggard state, capital investments have multiplied fourfold since 2018. It has a thriving startup ecosystem with the Chief Minister’s signature PRIME (Promotion and Incubation of Market-driven Enterprises) which has actively funded hundreds of local entrepreneurs and generated thousands of jobs, the report said.

Giving specific examples in the IT sector, the report said the Shillong Technology Park is fully operational, attracting global industry leaders to boost local employment. Major infrastructure projects have helped boost tourism, with the state targeting 20 lakh visitors by 2028 which has helped its economy to grow.

In the Northeast, Assam registered the fastest nominal GDP growth among large states, recording a five-year CAGR of 17.3 per cent. The report attributed Assam’s performance to improved connectivity infrastructure, particularly expansion of roads and bridges supported through central funding, alongside growth in the tea and agro-processing sectors and an improved investment environment.

The study noted that a handful of states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat continue to serve as the primary drivers of the national economy — together contributing nearly 48 per cent of India’s GDP. Still a number of smaller and mid-sized states like Meghalaya are now recording some of the highest growth rates in the country.

The report stated that the five-year nominal CAGR data presents a more “democratised” economic picture than conventional state GDP rankings, indicating that structural catch-up growth is beginning to emerge across a wider section of the Indian economy.

Uttar Pradesh recorded a 15.3 per cent CAGR, described as significant considering the scale of the state’s economy. It credited reforms undertaken during the current administration, including the NIVESH MITRA single-window clearance portal, land record digitisation and the expansion of logistics and defence manufacturing infrastructure, for contributing to the momentum.

Client Associates (CA) was founded as India’s first Multi Family Office firm in 2002 by two private bankers. It is the largest multi-family office in India.