Shallang coal traders demand protection from criminals
From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: Coal traders and supplier of Shallang area have expressed fears of risk to their lives due to an increase in the number of kidnapping cases at Shallang and neighbouring areas.
Coal traders from Shallang, while speaking to news persons on Friday, said they were operating under great risk amidst increase in cases of kidnapping, militancy and dacoity.
The traders informed that they were regularly served with demand notes by petty criminals, dacoits and even armed militant groups. Several traders have been kidnapped in the past for filing to cough up the extortion money. “We feel vulnerable even to move about freely in our own place due to the existing criminal activities,” the traders said, adding that they never come out of their houses after 4 pm fearing kidnapping or dacoity.
The traders have urged the concerned authorities to ensure a safe and secure environment in Shallang and adjoining areas to enable them to go on with their lives without fear or insecurity.
171 fatalities in road accidents in State in 2014
SHILLONG: Altogether 171 people lost their lives in road accidents across the State last year.
Police statistics reveal that in 2014, altogether 301 road accidents took place in the entire State with an average of around 20-30 accidents every month.
The statistics also reveal that 476 people were injured in accidents last year.
According to the data, a majority of the road accidents took place in the afternoon between noon and 3 pm leading to injury of 68 people and death of 33 people.
Last year the highest number of accidents was recorded in January with 30 cases in which 47 people were injured and 17 people died. In September last year, 26 road accidents took place in which 77 people were injured and 8 people died.
“The most common reason for road accidents in Meghalaya is drunken and reckless driving,” Home Minister Roshan Warjri had said in a statement in the recently concluded Assembly session.
She had informed that as many as 463 persons were killed in the past five years from 2010 till 2014 in road accidents whereas 1772 were injured.
557 persons were booked and several persons were charge sheeted for drunk driving in the last five years, the minister had informed the House.
Ri Bhoi police on bid to arrest dangerous driving on NH 40
SHILLONG: The Guwahati-Shillong highway (NH 40) or the newly christened Umiam-Jorabat Expressway has become a race track for adventure seekers with vehicles found to be zooming at high speed on the serpentine highway resulting in a spate of accidents, often fatal.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on the dangerous trend, Ri Bhoi Superintendent of Police, G.D. Kharwanlang, asserted that the district police was conducting stringent checking at different locations on a regular basis.
“On an average every day we realize a fine of around Rs.20,000 from reckless drivers,” he said.
He also said that the district police often conduct mobile courts where vehicles are checked.
It may be mentioned that road accidents on the road has become a daily affair and many people have lost their lives in these accidents.
According to Kharwanlang, the district police often change the location of the mobile courts to keep ahead of alert offender. He added that similar courts function on the Shillong Bypass also.
“Sometimes we do checking with the support of the district administration and in some sases police do it alone,” he said.
RTI activists to launch Transparency Mela on Oct 13
SHILLONG: On the 10th anniversary of The Right to Information Act which falls on October 13, several organizations including TUR,CSWO, KSU, FKJGP, GSU, AJYWO and others will host an RTI Help Desk and Transparency Exhibition at the Additional Secretariat Parking Lot from 11am under the theme ’10 years of Transparency- Time now for Accountability’.
The day will be marked not just by reflections and intellectual exchanges but will also include fun and rejoicing and initiatives to challenge corruption, the organizers said in a statement on Friday.
Meghalaya has been at the forefront of the historic Right to Information Movement. The Right to Information Act came into being on October 13, 2005 and it has been 10 years of citizens actively using the Act to fight for their rights and entitlements and reclaim democracy.
To celebrate 10 years of RTI struggles and victories the Meghalaya Right to Information Movement and the Campaign for an Independent Lokayukta in Meghalaya comprising several peoples groups have planned the programmes.
The exhibition will include sharing of files and information accessed through RTI such as the first ever RTI on Khyndailad, RTIs on MLCU and other private universities, PDS, ‘white ink’ Education Scam, Housing-CGI Scam, Urban Department’s Housing for the Poor, Uranium mining, MUDA, New Shillong Township, MLA/MDC Schemes, NREGS and others. The organizers have also invited other RTI users to share their RTIs on October 13.
Moreover, the MRIM and the Campaign for an Independent Lokayukta in Meghalaya have also offered to gift the State Information Commission a signboard to clearly mark the office of the State Information Commission in order to emphasize the need to fully operationalise Section 4 of the RTI that insists on proactive disclosure that starts with a simple thing such as a proper signage.
‘10 pc readers do not return books to State Central Library’
SHILLONG: At least 10 per cent of the readers do not return books burrowed from the State Central Library.
“90 per cent of the readers are regular in returning books burrowed from the library,” informed Director, Arts and Culture, Matsiewdor War, in reply to questions posed by The Shillong Times.
Replying to a question, she said, “Reading habits of the people have increased in the last five years in spite in the increased of technology.”
On being asked if the reading habits among young generations have dwindled, War asserted that young people frequent the library.
She also informed that the recent National Book Fair organized by the National Book Trust garnered huge response from the people of the State.
In order to cater to the needs of the people in the rural areas, the Government is making an effort to create district libraries in the newly constructed districts.
On being asked about the amount of money earmarked for the purchase of books by the Department, she informed that Rs.2 lakh which is the State’s contribution to the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation in the ratio of 90:10 was being provided.
