Cong move to overtake BJP’s recruitment tally
From Our Correspondent
TURA: The Congress party in Meghalaya is hoping to push aside its bitter opponent – BJP – in the numbers game for recruitment of members into the political fold and is banking on its bastion of Garo Hills which has as many as 13 Congress MLAs.
The oldest political party of the country is holding its organizational elections in July and has begun a large-scale drive to enroll members before the May 15 deadline.
The enrolment drive and organizational elections come in the backdrop of recent announcement by the BJP in Meghalaya which claims to have enrolled a staggering forty thousand members.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm from the public for our enrolment drive as can be seen from the number of people coming forward to enroll themselves as members into the party. We are looking at nothing short of 5000-6000 new recruits into the party from each party block in Garo Hills,” said a happy MPCC working president and Congress Minister Deborah C Marak while speaking to The Shillong Times at Congress Bhawan in Tura on Friday morning.
Senior Congressman and Rajya Sabha member J.D. Seelem, who also happens to be the public relations officer for the party in Meghalaya, said his party is optimistic it would return to power post 2018 elections to the State Assembly.
Lashing out at the Modi government in New Delhi, he accused it of disturbing the peace in the region and weakening the economy of the North East.
The Congress leader claimed that the BJP government is trying to abolish the special category status and also accused it of being anti-minority and anti-progress.
Mission Indradhanush Round Two from May 7
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Director of Health Services cum Joint Mission Director, National Health Mission, Meghalaya, has informed that the second round of Mission Indradhanush will be observed from May 7-14 at designated vaccination sites and at all Government Health Centres in the State.
The Mission hopes to cover more children and pregnant women to reach the goal of complete immunization by 2020.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched Mission Indradhanush on December 25 last year as a special nationwide initiative to vaccinate all partially vaccinated and unvaccinated children as well as pregnant women against seven vaccine preventable diseases.
Mission Indradhanush consists of four consecutive rounds as a catch up campaign. The first campaign under Mission Indradhanush was observed from April 7-14. The third and fourth rounds will be observed in June and July.
In Meghalaya, Mission Indradhanush was launched by Meghalaya Health & Family Welfare Minister A.L. Hek on April 2. The first round was observed from April 7-14.
The Health Department and NHM, Meghalaya, has appealed to all parents of children below two years of age as well as unvaccinated or partially vaccinated pregnant women to avail the services.
150th birth anniv of U Hajom Kissor Sing
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: As part of the commemoration of the birth sesquicentenary of U Hajom Kissor Singh, founder of Khasi Unitarianism, the Unitarian Church of Madan Laban organized an Inter-Secondary School Quiz Competition on Thursday at the St. Edmund’s College Auditorium.
A total of nine schools participated in the competition.
Loreto Convent School represented by Shubhangi C. Bhatt and Stefanie T. Dkhar emerged winners of the Quiz contest followed in the second place by St. Edmund’s School represented by Jayottam Bhattacharji and Rahul Purkayastha. Madan Laban Nepali Secondary School, represented by Som Thapa and Asha Kiran Kiro, secured the third position.
The other participating schools were St. Anthony’s Higher Secondary School, St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, St. Joseph’s English School, Laban Assamese Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Raid Laban Secondary School and Sunderland Memorial Secondary School.
Trophies, mementos and certificates were presented to the top three teams while the other participating teams were presented with mementos and certificates.
WGH district panel meeting held
From Our Correspondent
TURA: The District Coordination Committee of West Garo Hills held a meeting on Friday convened by Deputy Commissioner, Pravin Bakshi.
Bakshi, who is the Chairman of the Committee, said that the forum helps solve many inter-departmental problems and clears all misunderstandings on issues that crops up while implementing the schemes which are convergence in nature.
Besides reviewing the schemes and projects that were taken up for implementation in the last financial year by various line departments, plethora of agendas concerning the district was also taken up for discussion.
In view of the major earthquake having hit Nepal on Saturday last, the Deputy Commissioner laid great stress on disaster management and better coordination among various departments on natural disaster in the district.
May Day observed in Meghalaya
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Workers and employees of different government offices as well as from public and private sector organisations of Shillong observed the 126th May Day on Friday under the banner of the Meghalaya Joint Council of Trade Unions and Associations (MJCTU&A), the apex body of all trade unions and associations of the State.
The programme started with hoisting of the May Day Flag at 9.30 am, followed by paying of homage to May Day martyrs at the Parking Lot (Opposite CTO), Shillong.
Later, a rally was held at the same venue at 12.30 am where the ‘May Day Resolution 2015’ was adopted.
The resolution adopted in the meeting include declaration of May Day every year as a paid public holiday, scrapping of the Land Acquisition Bill of the Central government, continuation of special category state provision for Meghalaya and other Northeastern states and opposition to any move to do away with such provision, expressing support and solidarity to the struggles of Central government employees and with the agitation launched by BSNL employees.
The meeting also condoled the tragic death of 14 labourers in Jaintia Hills under mysterious circumstances and demanded proper probe into the matter.
They also expressed grief over the death of thousands of people in Nepal and India due to the earthquake on April 25 and promised generous contribution from the workers and employees.
Parents back teacher held for child assault
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Over 200 parents of children studying in May Queen School, Mawlai, have signed a statement backing Maya Magracia Kharbuli, the teacher arrested for allegedly assaulting a three-year-old child, and terming the accusation as false.
A statement signed by 220 parents said that Maya Magracia Kharbuli’s behavior with the students has always been very good and she has never misbehaved with any child.
The statement also questioned why the complainant, David Nongrum, did not call up the school but called the teacher and threatened her.
The parents reiterated that they had never found anything against the school.
GNLA warns public transport operators
From Our Correspondent
TURA: After a lull of over a month since indefinite shutdown was announced in Ampati, the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has issued a warning to operators of transport vehicles who have been ferrying people from West Garo Hills to the bandh affected region.
The outfit blamed the bus and sumo operators’ associations from West Garo Hills for defying the bandh call and plying their vehicles to Ampati.
“We have been patiently watching the activities but have cautioned our cadres not to inflict harm considering the passengers. Now they must stop. Ignoring our warning will be dealt with strongly. The association should not blame us for any misfortune later,” the outfit said in a statement.
Meanwhile, on the recent High Court order directing the State government and the police to initiate inquiry into the alleged Oragitok fake encounter, the outfit said that it was hopeful the entrusted official would be fair in the investigation.
“We know her and her family background. We believe that she will bring out the truth unbiased. The officers responsible in the fake encounter ought to instantly be suspended so that free and fair investigation can follow,” it said.
Additional Magistrate Sabrella B. Marak has been entrusted with the inquiry into the incident.