Meghalaya Times

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 23: Matrilineal Meghalaya on Saturday made another landmark in its history with the first women Chief Justice (CJ) being sworn-in to head the full fledged State High Court situated in the capital city.
Justice T Meena Kumari was sworn-in as Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court. Meghalaya Governor, Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy to her at a ceremony held in the Raj Bhavan here on Saturday.
Justice Kumari is a judge of the Patna High court, and hails from Andhra Pradesh.

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 23: In Meghalaya, the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) was launched on the October 2, 2003, in all the 7 districts. So far RNTCP has been able to play the role of a life saver for many patients in the aspect of physical cure and social upliftment. To commemorate World Tuberculosis Day and sensitize the masses about the curative methods, the RNTCP Meghalaya in association with CMAI, CBCI-CARD and Rotary Club Shillong organized a programme at the Don Bosco Youth Centre Shillong on Saturday.

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 21: Meghalaya government has assured that the ‘Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill 2012’ will be further amended for ensuring a ‘strong’ and ‘effective’ Act even as it spelt out its intention to have a ‘comprehensive approach’ to counter corruption practices in the state.
“Government will examine and the bill will further be amended for the state to have a strong and effective Lokayukta Act in place,” Chief Minister, Dr Mukul Sangma assured the House while replying to the resolution moved by UDP legislator from West Shillong, Paul Lyngdoh, during the ongoing Budget Session of 9th Meghalaya Legislative Assembly session on Thursday.

Our Correspondent
Guwahati, March 21 : The Union government is hoping the peace talk with United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) will reach a new possibility with the return of the outfit’s founder general secretary Anup Chetia.
The next level peace talk between ULFA and Union government will be held in April.
A top level source of Union home ministry said that, the political process of Chetia’s return to India have begun in Bangladesh.

Staff Reporter
Shillong, March 22: Meghalaya government on Thursday informed that the annual cap on subsidized domestic LPG cylinders has been raised from 3 to 5 for a period from 14.09.2012 to 31.03.2013 and from 6 cylinders to 9 cylinders annually with effect from April 1, 2013.

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 21: Mawsynram and Sohra, which receive the highest rainfall in the world every year, will now have Ropeways connecting them across the gorge.
“Mawsynram and Sohra Plateau are proposed to have cable-cars connecting them across the gorge,” Chief Minister Dr Mukul M Sangma said while replying during the Question Hour at the ongoing Budget Session here on Thursday.

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 21: The recently held first ever Khasi Film Award (KFA) has been under storm as the VC Film Production, who was awarded with best lighting award for their film Bainong, has demanded the organizing committee of the KFA to take away the awards given to them stating that it is just an insulting award.

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 21: With reports of the Assam government preparing to construct an SBI Sabuda branch, of which a foundation stone has already been laid, and the construction of an entrance gate saying “Welcome to Karbi Anglong” in the Meghalaya-Assam disputed areas, the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) on Thursday demanded from the Meghalaya government to put pressure on the union government to amend the North – Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, 1971 to ensure that areas under disputed  Block I and Block II are restored to Meghalaya.

SHILLONG, March 21: The Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills has informed the Mohd Ahmed, Mohd Zarrar Siddhibappa alias Bhatkal alias Imran Shah Rukh, Tahaseen Akhtar Wasim Akhtar Shaikh alias Monu alias Hasan, Asadullah Akhtar Javed Akhtar alias Haddi, Tabrez, Shakir, Danial and Waqas alias Ahmed are the persons wanted by Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), Mumbai Police in connection with the investigation of the bomb blast cases at Mumbai on November 13, 2011 and on August 1, 2012 at Pune.

Staff Reporter
Shillong, March 20: Alphonse Sangma is all set to become the new Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) unopposed.
Alphonse filed his nomination for the post on Wednesday and had no contender.

Staff Reporter
Shillong, March 20: Meghalaya police on Wednesday night cracked down on a Silchar based Kiron Jyoti Project and Developers Private Limited having office at Dhankheti, near LIC office, for allegedly defrauding people of lakhs of rupees.
According to the police preliminary investigation, the company has allegedly duped about 150 depositors especially those from unorganized sectors to the tune of Rs 20 lakhs.

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 20: Meghalaya suffers from has huge shortfall in meat production, a depressing news for a state having huge meat eating population.
Replying to a question by UDP legislator from Nongthymmai Jemino Mawtoh during the Question Hour of ongoing Budget Session on Wednesday, State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister, Deborah C Marak informed, “There is a huge shortfall of meat production in the state” revealing that the there is shortfall of 8,932 tons of Beef production and 1,395 tons of pork production annually.

Staff Reporter
Tura, March 20: The Congress led MUA – II government’s move to build a dam and power station on the hills of Nokrek peak in West Garo Hills has hit an opposition block in the form of NGOs. All Meghalaya based NGOs within the Williamnagar area have confirmed plans to oppose the move of the government to set up a dam, which incidentally has been rumored is being built to provide water and electricity to the people of Ampati, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma’s home constituency.

Staff Reporter
Tura, March 20: The National People’s Party (NPP) Working President, Conrad K Sangma, who is on a whirlwind tour of the various districts within Garo Hills, has asserted that Purno A Sangma’s charm in the region has not faded yet.
According to the former Leader of Opposition (LO), “losing just one battle does not mean things are over”. He stated that there were further battles ahead and only if the trend continued (of NPP’s defeat), would they consider the P A Sangma charm lost.

Staff Reporter
Shillong, March 20: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has constituted the Sub – Committee for the proposed Amendment of the Sixth Schedule. 

NERCCDIP to revitalize State Waste Management policies
Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 19: Over 60, 000 households in Shillong have been identified by the state government for implementation of the North Eastern Region Capital City Development Investment Programme (NERCCDIP) ensuring better “waste-management”.
These households have been identified with the intension of distributing waste bins.  “We have already targeted 60,000 households which will be distributed with bins in the second trench of the NERCCDIP,” State Urban Affairs Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh said in her reply to a query raised by UDP legislator from Nongthymmai Jemino Mawthoh during the Question Hour at the ongoing Budget Session here on Tuesday.

Staff Reporter
Shillong, March 19: HSPDP legislator from Nongkrem, Ardent M Basaiawmoit on Tuesday asked Urban Affairs Minister Dr Ampareen Lyngdoh to behave responsibly when she indirectly alleged people from Nongkrem to have littered along the beautiful streams of the area.

Staff Reporter
Shillong, March 19: Independent legislator from Gambegre in West Garo Hills Saleng A Sangma on Tuesday said there is a school in his constituency where the teacher asks students to collect stones.
“The more the stones, the better marks the students get,” he said on the Floor of the House while participating in the motion moved by NPP legislator Nihim D Shira on ‘style and functioning of education department in the state of Meghalaya’ during the ongoing Budget Session on Tuesday.

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 18: After receiving several complaints from different localities and areas, regarding young bloods treating city streets as ‘race tracks’ the Shillong traffic police have decided to clamp down on rash riders who zoom and stunt around in the streets scaring innocent pedestrians and causing danger.

Staff Reporter
SHILLONG, March 19: The system of introducing the Japanese made device – ‘Hand Held Breath Alcohol Analyzer’ to check driving under influence(DUI) has yielded results with five people being booked till date since its introduction from March 06.