By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 26: Two persons have been reported missing from Shillong in separate incidents, the East Khasi Hills Police informed in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The first person, 23-year-old Rahul Chettri, has been missing since April 28, 2026. He is 4.7 feet tall, has a fair complexion, an oval face, and a muscular build. He has short black hair and a visible scar on his right cheek. He is fluent in Nepali, Hindi, Khasi, and English.
(Contd on P-7)
Sd/- (Shri. R. Hinge)
District Transport Officer
East Khasi Hills, Shillong
GOVERNMENT OF MEGHALAYA
OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT TRANSPORT OFFICER
EAST KHASI HILLS :: SHILLONG.
No.DTO/S/PRC/65/2025/440 Dated Shillong the 22nd May, 2026
This is for general information of all concerned that all school buses, Taxis, Private vehicles carrying school children in East Khasi Hills District should carry as per seating capacity specified in the Registration Book of the respective vehicles for the safety of school children. Anyone found carrying beyond the specified seating capacity will be penalized as per relevant section of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.
MIPR No.603
Dated:26/5/2026
Dlicktimai Wannianng, a retired teacher of KJP Higher Secondary School, wife of (L) Oralstone Marwein, and a resident of Pdengshnong, Lower Mawprem, Shillong, passed away on Monday. Her funeral service will be held at the Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Mawkhar, Lawmali, at 2 PM on Thursday.
Trantis V Mawkhlieng (94), mother of Mol, Shalbi, Tri, (L) Loit, and Joy Mawkhlieng, and a resident of Mawlai Motsyiar Block B-II, passed away on Tuesday. The funeral service will be held at her residence at 1 PM on Thursday and she will be laid to rest at Phudmuri Presbyterian Cemetery.
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 26: A group of bike taxi riders on Tuesday met Transport department officials, seeking clarification after the department said that no bike taxi aggregator would be allowed to operate in Meghalaya without obtaining the necessary government approvals.
The meeting with the Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) at the District Transport Office (DTO) in Lower Lachumiere was held amid growing uncertainty over the future of app-based bike taxi services in the state following the government’s warning against unauthorised operations.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, one of the riders said they approached transport officials to understand the legal requirements and the way forward for those engaged in online bike taxi services. He said the riders had sought direct permits from the DTO but were informed that such a decision would have to be taken at the government level. (Contd on P-7)
From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, May 26: Researchers from Nagaland University have carried out an integrated geological investigation of the Upper Disang Formation in Nagaland, generating new insights into the origin, transport and evolution of ancient sediments deposited along the eastern boundary of the Indian tectonic plate.
The findings help improve scientific understanding of basin evolution, sediment dispersal and tectonic processes within the Indo-Myanmar sedimentary domain.
The study was supported by the Start-up Research Grant of Nagaland University. The research further enhances scientific understanding of sediment dispersal patterns and basin dynamics along the eastern margin of the Indian plate, which remains one of the most tectonically complex regions in South Asia.
While earlier geological studies on the Upper Disang Formation were largely concentrated in Upper Assam and other parts of Northeast India, limited geological information was available from this region of Nagaland.
The present research addressed this gap through an integrated approach combining petrography, heavy mineral analysis and studies of post-depositional changes in sediments.
The findings of the study have been published in Evolving Earth, a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes research on Earth system science, planetary evolution and global environmental change.
The paper was co-authored by Dr. S. K. Srivastava, Dr. Amitava Patra, K. Swuro and V. Kirha from the Department of Geology, Nagaland University and Dr. Shyam Kanhaiya, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, VBS Purvanchal University, Uttar Pradesh.
Elaborating on the study, Prof. S.K. Srivastava, Department of Geology, Nagaland University, said, “Our study revealed that the Upper Disang sandstones were derived from multiple and compositionally diverse sediment sources, including igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary terrains. We also identified signatures of tectonically active depositional settings and drainage reorganisation during sediment accumulation.”
The findings provide a clearer understanding of how sedimentary basins evolved in tectonically active regions linked to the Indo-Myanmar ranges.
The researchers also documented diagenetic features preserved within the Upper Disang sandstones, indicating that the sediments largely underwent shallow burial changes after deposition. These post-depositional signatures provide important clues about the thermal history, compaction processes and fluid interactions that affected the basin over geological time.
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 26: The state government has introduced 112 as the unified emergency helpline under the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) which integrates previous emergency services, including Police (100), Fire (101), and Ambulance (108).
The Office of the Superintendent of Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Shillong, has notified the public that old contact numbers for the department previously listed in local directories are no longer in service.
Meghalaya Fire and Emergency Services can now be contacted through the emergency helpline 112 or the landline number 2520400.
(PTI)
GUWAHATI, May 26: Asserting that the assembly election results were an affirmation of the BJP-led NDA’s commitment to peace and prosperity in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said his government will work to make the state a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2028.
He said the NDA’s acceptance among the people has increased over the last five years and the minority community was also gradu-ally leaning towards it, which would “spell more trouble for the Congress”.
Speaking during a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address in the assembly, Sarma said tabling the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill proved his government’s commitment to working for the rights of women belonging to the minority community.
He mentioned of the Op-position’s boycott of the gov-ernor’s speech in the assem-bly and urged for a discussion on not resorting to such steps, citing the example of Parlia-ment where the President’s address is attended by the opposition parties.
Noting that the state’s GSDP has grown from Rs 4 lakh crore in 2021-22 to Rs
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during the 4th day of the first session of the 16th Assam Legislative Assembly, in Guwahati, on Tuesday. (UB)
8 lakh crore in the last five years, he said the target was to make it a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2028.
Stating that a strong mid-dle-class is getting formed in the state, he said that the percentage of people living below poverty line (BPL) will be brought down to 2-3 per cent in the next five years from current 17 per cent.
“When poverty decreases, social indicators improve. The improvement in Mater-nal Mortality Rate (MMR) is one such indicator for us,” the CM said.
From MMR of 480 per 1 lakh live births in 2006, it has come down to 84 per 1 lakh live births and Assam’s figure is now below the all-India figure, he added.
He affirmed that the gov-ernment would continue working for development and protecting the identity of the indigenous people by stopping Bangladeshi influx and safeguarding tribal land, among others.
On the election results, he said, “The NDA’s tally not just reached 102, but the number of votes polled by our candidates also increased by 15 lakh this time.
The BJP candidates se-cured over 81.92 lakh votes, AGP got 14 lakh, and BPF got 8 lakh, with the NDA crossing the 1 crore votes mark in total.”
“The NDA swept all Scheduled Tribe reserved seats and tea tribes-domi-nated ones, while winning all but one seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes,” he added.
He said that even in a couple of minority-domi-nated seats, AGP and BPF candidates secured over 1 lakh votes each, an indication of the community leaning towards the NDA.
Sarma said Assam kept intact its record of peace af-ter elections, and even West Bengal, from where people used to take refuge in Assam to escape post-poll violence during Trinamool Congress rule, did not witness such a situation.
The CM said he kept his promise by tabling the UCC Bill in the first assembly session.
“Tabling the UCC Bill proves our government’s commitment to work for the rights of women belonging to the minority community. I hope the Opposition will support it,” he said.
Sarma also lauded the decision of several Eidgah committees to refrain from cow sacrifice during Bakri Eid, and hoped more commit-tees would follow suit.
He said that when his previous government had brought in the Cattle Pres-ervation Act in 2021, many had interpreted it as an at-tempt to hamper religious sentiments.
From there, Assam has reached a state where Mus-lims are themselves refrain-ing from cow slaughter re-specting Hindu sentiments and this will strengthen com-munal harmony, Sarma said.
Referring to the issue of price rise raised by several MLAs during the discussion, the CM said the government was seized of the matter, and measures were being taken to check it.
More austerity measures will be included in the state Budget, likely to be presented in July, Sarma added.
In an apparent reference to state Congress president and MP Gaurav Gogoi’s de-feat in the elections, Sarma said, “A politician should not become proud. Pride leads a person to lose a small as-sembly segment under the Lok Sabha constituency he had won just two years ago.”
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 26: The opposing faction of the Mawkhaw Presbyterian Church (MPC), under Mawkhaw District, Shillong Ri-Lum Presbytery and KJP Synod Sepngi, has hit back at Rev. Macdonald Pyngrope for claiming to be a pastor even after the Synod withdrew his ordination.
The MPC accused him of attempting to mislead the public by portraying himself as the sole person committed to exposing the alleged misappropriation of church funds.
In a detailed statement issued on Tuesday, the faction alleged that recent media reports gave the impression that Pyngrope alone was dedicated to exposing the financial irregularities that tarnished the church’s image.
Questioning his position, the group asked who was trying to shield those directly or indirectly involved in the alleged misappropriation, while also pointing fingers at the auditors who had certified the church accounts between 2013 and 2019.
According to the faction, the auditors during the period when the funds allegedly went missing were JS Rajee, A Pariat, G Pakma, and WH Shulai. It further claimed that all of them are currently aligned with the “self-styled church committee” headed by Pyngrope. The faction maintained that the present dispute within the church is unrelated to the missing funds case and instead stems from Pyngrope’s refusal to sign the bond agreement issued by the Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian (KJP) Synod Sepngi for pastors and church employees.
It said the bond, approved during the Synod meeting in 2021, requires pastors to refrain from indulging in political activities and devote themselves fully to church service, unless prior permission is obtained from the Synod for other engagements. The group stated that Pyngrope’s refusal to sign the bond led to his removal as pastor by the Synod, resulting in the emergence of two factions within the church—one remaining under the authority of the KJP Synod Sepngi and the other aligned with Pyngrope and no longer under any Presbyterian church authority.
Clarifying the FIR related to the alleged missing church funds, the faction said the complaint was not initiated solely by Pyngrope but was a collective decision of the church committee.
It stated that after learning about the alleged financial discrepancies, the church committee, during its meeting on July 31, 2019, resolved to file an FIR. Subsequently, on August 3, 2019, it was decided to withdraw the initial FIR and file a fresh complaint against the church chowkidar, with Pyngrope and former church secretary, A Syiemlieh, autho-rised to sign the complaint on behalf of the church.
The matter was later registered as GR Case No. 93(S) of 2021, with Alfast Bareh named as the accused. The case is currently being heard in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shillong, and is presently at the evidence stage.
The faction asserted that it was incorrect to suggest that Pyngrope alone brought the alleged fund misappropriation to light, stating that the discrepan-cies were detected by those responsible for preparing the balance sheet and conducting the church’s special audit.
It further alleged that Pyngrope already sought clarification from the Synod on whether signing the bond would affect the FIR filed in 2019, and that the Synod had clarified in 2023 that it would have no bearing on the case.
However, the faction claimed that this clarification was not shared with the congregation. It was raised only in 2025 when Pyngrope urged the church to seek clarification from the Synod.
The group also stated that discus-sions on the bond had been taking place in church meetings since 2022, but the church committee had initially treated the matter as a personal issue between him and the Synod.
The church funds initially found missing, which later exposed the alleged involvement of the church chowkidar, stood at Rs 3.26 crore. However, fol-lowing the police inquiry, the alleged amount misappropriated was found to have risen to Rs 4.58 crore.
The dispute involves a faction, led by Pyngrope, seeking to dissociate itself from KJP Synod Sepngi to be an independent entity and another under KJP Synod Sepngi, which wants to be governed by the provisions of the Pres-byterian Church of India.
From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, May 26: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday lambasted the Congress and people who took Zubeen Garg’s name for political mileage ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
“Congress leaders who had earlier criticised Zubeen Garg took the singer’s name to engage in politics before the elections. The party had even made Zubeen Garg’s demise as one of the key issues in their election mani- festo. Portraits and banners of Zubeen Garg were put up at the political party’s office,” Sarma said, during a discussion in the Assam Assembly.
“The electors have an- swered through their mandate that one should not indulge in politics in the name of cultural icons such as Zubeen Garg, Bhupen Hazarika…For us, Zubeen Garg has always been a national asset. So, one should never criticise an icon in his lifetime, as after his demise, we all have to cry,” he said.
The chief minister also took potshots at Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, stat- ing that the latter had to face defeat in the elections as he had “opposed development during the plan to set up the Jorhat flyover.”
“Such opposition to devel- opment and industrialisation has backfired on Gaurav Gogoi and the Congress,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking at the Assembly, Sarma high- lighted Assam’s remarkable transformation in the health- care sector, stating that the state has now surpassed the national average in Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR).
The chief minister noted that Assam, once ranked at the bottom nationally, has now emerged among the top-performing states in India, reflecting the govern- ment’s steadfast commitment towards ensuring quality healthcare and comprehen- sive care for every mother.
He expressed strong deter- mination that Assam is firmly on track to transform into a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2028.
Sarma noted that the GSDP has expanded from Rs 4 lakh crore in 2021-22 to a projected Rs 8.72 lakh crore today, clocking an impressive annual growth rate of 13 to 15 percent.
Sarma emphasised that with this unprecedented momentum, Assam is ful- ly poised to significantly strengthen the PM’s vision of a $5 trillion national econ- omy.
He further highlighted that the state has achieved a fresh direction through meaningful peace dialogues that respect public aspirations.
From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, May 26: Assam chief secretary Ravi Kota on Tuesday approved the annual action plan for 2026-27 for watershed development with a proposed outlay exceeding Rs 102 cr, with focus on sustainable natural resource management, livelihood generation, and climate-resilient agriculture. Kota also approved the incentive framework under the Watershed Janbhagidari initiative to recognise high-performing watershed projects and encourage community participation and ownership. The approvals were given during the State Level Steering Committee (SLSC) meeting held under the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY 2.0).
