Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: Concerned over growing safety risks along the newly constructed Shillong-Dawki road, the East Khasi Hills district administration has decided to remove hawkers and unauthorised parking areas encroaching on the Right of Way (RoW) of the highway stretch.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) RM Kurbah on May 15 after the NHIDCL project authorities flagged repeated encroachments at several points along the road.

Officials said hawkers have occupied portions of the RoW from Rilbong Point to 3½ Mile Upper Shillong and at 7th Mile, Upper Shillong, while concerns were also raised over vehicles being parked within the highway corridor at Rilbong Point.

According to an official statement issued on Friday, the encroachments were found to be hazardous for commuters, vendors and traffic movement along the busy corridor, necessitating immediate intervention by the authorities.

To facilitate the eviction drive, NHIDCL has been directed to clearly demarcate the acquired RoW, while the office of the Superintendent of Police (Traffic) will install barricades and deploy personnel to prevent parking within restricted areas.

The administration further decided that officials of the Police department, PWD (Roads) NH Division Shillong and NHIDCL would jointly conduct the eviction (Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter SHILLONG, May 22: Liquor retailers in Meghalaya on Friday accused the state government of ignoring the spirit of High Court and Supreme Court rulings by reducing retailers’ profit margins under the Integrated Excise Management System (IEMS).

Addressing a press brief- ing, retailer Shamkamti Diengdoh said the gov- ernment had introduced the IEMS policy a few months ago and awarded its implementation to C-Tel Infosystem Private Limited, represented by MP Singha- nia and Company.

Diengdoh claimed that under the aforesaid policy, five per cent of the retailers’ profit margin was deducted to pay the implementing agency.

According to Diengdoh, the East Khasi Hills Wine Dealers’ Welfare Associa- tion challenged the policy before the High Court of Meghalaya through a writ petition.

He said the High Court of Meghalaya, in its judg- ment delivered on March 26, observed that while the government could in- troduce policies, it should not interfere with the 20 per cent profit margin of retailers.

He further stated that the government later ap- proached the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition, but with- drew the matter during the first hearing held on April 27.

Diengdoh further al- leged that despite the legal developments, the govern- ment issued a notification on May 13 revising the retailers’ profit margin to 15.5 per cent, which he claimed went against the observations made by both courts.

The retailers also ex- pressed concern over the financial impact of the re- vised policy.

Diengdoh informed re- tailers contribute revenue to the state through taxes on diesel, petrol and In- dian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), and alleged that reducing profit margins would affect business sus- tainability, self-employed youths and future entre- preneurs.

He further alleged that the present MDA govern- ment was favouring select- ed firms and businessmen in the award of contracts and implementation of poli- cies.

Diengdoh also claimed that the revised policy was affecting the functioning of the excise sector and creat- ing difficulties for retailers across the state.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: The Synjuk Nong Synshar Shnong, Upper Shillong, has urged Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong to establish a full-fledged police station and other key public infrastructure facilities in the Upper Shillong area.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, federation executive member Arju Dkhar said the meeting with the deputy chief minister, which was attended by representatives from 14 villages, focused on several developmental issues affecting the region, including MeECL power lines, tourism infrastructure, the local college and drinking water supply.

According to Dkhar, Tynsong indicated that he may conduct an official inspection of the area (Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: The East Khasi Hills Local Taxi Welfare Association (EKHLTWA) is planning to meet the Commissioner of Transport and the chairman of the Regional Transport Authority next week to press for a hike in local taxi fares in view of the frequent increase in petrol prices amid the ongoing global crisis triggered by the US-Iran conflict.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, EKHLTWA president Wandonbok Jyrwa said the association had already deliberated on the need to revise taxi fares, stating that the present fuel price hike was comparable to the situation witnessed in 2021.

“Now it is a global crisis. With the hike in the price of petroleum, it will ultimately lead to a rise in the prices of essential commodities. Therefore, we request the government to increase the taxi fares,” Jyrwa said.

He stated that there was already an understanding with the government that local taxi fares would be revised whenever fuel prices increased.

“If the fuel prices come down, we will again reduce the taxi fares,” he said.

Jyrwa further said that the association had only held preliminary discussions on the matter so far and appealed to the state government to consider the welfare and interests of local taxi owners and drivers.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: The Khasi feature film, Ha Lyngkha Bneng: The Elysian Field, directed by Pradip Kurbah, has entered its final week of screening at Soso Tham Auditorium from May 25 to 31.

The film, which has received appreciation from audiences in Shillong and recognition at various film festivals, offers moviegoers the last opportunity to experience it on the big screen.

Set in 2047, Ha Lyngkha Bneng: The Elysian Field portrays a Khasi village where only a handful of residents remain after many move out. Through silence, humour, music, and intimate human moments, the film reflects on themes of home, memory, loneliness, friendship, and the changing future of indigenous communities and villages.

According to the filmmakers, the movie explores what could happen to Khasi villages and communities if migration continues to depopulate the rural areas.

People who watched the film described it as emotional, quiet, and heart-warming, praising its cinematography, subtle humour, music, and relatable characters. The film has particularly resonated with local audiences for its depiction of the landscapes, sounds, and memories associated with the Khasi Hills.

The final day of screening on May 31 will coincide with the film’s screenings at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival in Nepal and the New York Indian Film Festival in the United States.

The film’s team has invited students, families, artists, film enthusiasts, and the general public to attend the screenings during the concluding week. (Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: A local court on Friday disposed of the case against the Meghalaya Joint Action Committee of Commercial Vehicles (JACCV) relating to the 2021 transport strike over demands for a reduction in tax rates and revision of passenger fares following the steep rise in fuel prices.

Speaking to reporters after the court order, JACCV chairman Wandonbok Jyrwa said the organisation got justice after fighting the case for several years.

“We have achieved victory as the court has decided to dispose of the case related to our strike in 2021 which was launched due to an unprecedented hike in fuel prices,” Jyrwa said.

He further stated that the decision to suspend operations in (Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department has announced a six-hour shutdown of water supply in Shillong city and adjoining areas on May 25 due to installation works under the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme.

According to a shutdown notice issued by the Office of the Chief Engineer, PHE, the disruption will remain in effect from 10 am to 4 pm for the installation of new 6.6 kV high-tension panels for the replacement of pumping machinery.

The department said every effort would be made to restore the water supply at the earliest possible time.

From Our Correspondent

From Our Correspondent

TURA, May 22: The Garo Hills Deficit School Teach-ers’ and Employees’ Associa-tion (GHDSTEA) on Friday submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, seeking his inter-vention to resolve the dispute over the implementation of the Centralized Provident Fund (CPF) based pension scheme for deficit schools and colleges.

The association stated that while teachers had previously agreed to the Meghalaya Non-Government Schools and Colleges Centralized Provident Fund Scheme, 2023, they were surprised by a 2024 government order proposing a different version for 2026.

“We were expecting the implementation of the 2023 scheme, which proposed a CPF-based pension for those who joined before 2010 and the National Pension Scheme (NPS) for those who joined after 2010,” the association noted. (Contd on P-7)

From Our Correspondent

MAWKYRWAT, May 22: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has cancelled a work order previously issued to the South West Khasi Hills Basketball Association (SWKHBA) for the construction of a court at Laitlawsang, reportedly acting on the advice of local MDC Pynkhraw Kharjahrin.

A letter issued by the KHADC Chief Engineer, which has circulated on social media, informed the association that the work order dated January 15, 2025, stands revoked.

The document explicitly states that the decision was taken based (Contd on P-7)

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, May 22: In a surprise development, the KHADC Executive Committee (EC) on Friday suspended the Syiem of Hima Mylliem, Ainam Manik Syiem, and appointed Alban Fedrick Syiem as the Acting Syiem to manage the administration of the Hima in his place.

According to an order issued by the Secretary of the Executive Committee, the people of Hima Mylliem were notified that the Executive (Contd on P-7)