Road mishaps claim six lives in State
SHILLONG: Altogether six people died in three separate road accidents in the State in the last couple of days.
On Tuesday around 10 pm, one Maruti Alto (ML-05M-1422) plunged into a gorge at Mookyndur in West Jaintia Hills. In the incident, two male occupants Amul Das (24) and Paulus Pohswet (19) died on the spot.
A similar incident occurred the same day on the Mawsynram-Balat Road when one bus (ML-05J-2079) fell into a gorge at Kynrang village. One Walman D. Sangma (18) died on the spot while two others Promius Nongstiar (45) and Restine Marwein (56) died on the way to hospital.
45 occupants of the bus sustained injuries and were removed to Shillong Civil Hospital for treatment.
Earlier on Monday at about 8.30 pm, one dumper truck (DLI-8331) driven by Rechos Dkhar fell into a gorge at Daitmen in West Jaintia Hills. The injured driver was shifted to the Laskein CHC, where he succumbed to his injuries.
‘Christmas shopping adding to traffic woes’
SHILLONG: Despite the end of the 2015 season for educational institutions in the city, Shillong continues to bear the brunt of daily traffic jams with each passing day.
Speaking on the ever growing menace, Sacheng R Marak, Additional SP (Traffic), East Khasi Hills, said that people are coming out of their houses for Christmas shopping and hence the city was witnessing huge jams especially on the IGP-Police Bazar stretch.
He also said that lot of people from Assam and especially from Guwahati are come to Shillong everyday with their vehicles.
According to Marak, the Shillong Traffic branch was doing its best to ease traffic flow with over 250 traffic personnel bearing the responsibility of manning the traffic in the city.
It is also evident that the situation has compounded with drivers showing utter disregard to traffic rules, lane driving and adding to the traffic jams by overtaking unnecessarily.
It is feared that traffic jams would only increase in days to come since more and more people from different parts of the State are expected to arrive in Shillong for Christmas shopping.
Jaintia Hills village to host film festival
SHILLONG: A village in Meghalaya will be organizing a Film Festival that will screen films on local culture, songs and livelihood. This unique initiative is being undertaken by the Kiri Daloi Native Cultural Institute of Shangpung which will be organizing the Shangpung Film Festival on Dec 18 at the Sein Tyllilang Auditorium at Shangpung Pohshnong from 2 PM.
The one day film festival will showcase locally made films from Shangpung and Jowai besides showcasing films from acclaimed documentary series Songs to Live By, a series made by Tarun Bhartiya, K. Mark Swer & Arwat Challam and produced by the Department of Arts and Culture, Government of Meghalaya and NESFAS.
The series consists of films which tell tales of songs and rituals in Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills in their living forms.
One of the documentaries of the series to be screened will be Sounds from the Truck Country shot in Shangpung itself and which revolves around the local house warming ceremony called Ku Yung and unearths a living tradition called La Heh.
Heibormi Sungoh, Shangpungs’s well known historian and archivist and one of the organisers of the Film Festival, has extended his welcome to the public to attend the screenings. As part of the festival, there will also be performances of traditional songs and dances by Chlem Sur Tynre and other troupes from Shanpung village.
Woman’s body found in city, husband held
SHILLONG: The body of one woman identified as Sangita Devi (30-35 years) was recovered from inside her house at Pynthorbah Block-I in the city on Wednesday.
Suspecting foul play, police have detained her husband Sanjay Rai for interrogation.
Police suspected that she might have been strangulated and added that they were waiting for the post-mortem report before proceeding with the case.
Weather dips below 3-degree mark in city
SHILLONG: Winter has finally knocked the doors of Shillong with the mercury in the city dipping below the 3 degree Celsius mark on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 14.2 degree Celsius and a minimum of 2.7 degree Celsius.
Officials from the Metrological department said the temperature would dip further in the coming days with the peak winter expected in mid January.
Meanwhile, people selling blankets, woolens and charcoal are happy over the fact that their business has multiplied with the advancing winter.
As per the Regional Meteorological Centre, Guwahati, weather will remain dry over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. Moderate fog/mist would occur at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
Centre has stopped fund for PMGSY works: CM
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has lamented that the payment of small time PMGSY contractors have not been released to the State government.
The chief minister said that World Bank was roped in to fund all the road projects under PMGSY in Meghalaya but non release of funds have forced the small time contractors to stop road construction work as they are unable to complete the work with their limited resources.
It is not appropriate for the Union government to stop the payment to the small time contractors especially since it is very difficult to find suitable contractors to construct roads in internal and remote areas of the State, he added.
The statement came from the chief minister after PMGSY contractors addressed a petition to him expressing their reservation over non release of funds.
While lamenting that the State has a very limited working period, he said that continuous fund flow for such projects was important to ensure timely completion of road projects in rural areas of the State.
Concern over nomination of non-Congress MDC
SHILLONG: A Congress leader has expressed concern over the state of affairs prevailing in the party over KHADC CEM P.N. Syiem’s stand to nominate a non- party member to the Council.
“In this context, it would be better for the Congress MDCs to leave the coalition EC led by P.N. Syiem,” said the Congress leader who does not wish to reveal his identity.
“His act of nominating a non- Congress person to the KHADC is against the constitution of the party and it will also weaken the party”, the Congressman said, while cautioning Syiem that if he wishes to continue in the Congress, he has to change his mindset as the final verdict rests with the people of his constituency in the 2018 Assembly polls.
Fire House to miss Dec 19 concert in Jowai
SHILLONG: The headman of Panaliar, Jowai has informed that American Rock Band ‘Fire House’ will not be able to perform to the Jowai crowd on December 19 as they have other performances in the United States of America, local organizers informed here on Wednesday.
“Firehouse was scheduled to perform on December 12 but due visa rejection, they shifted the dates to December 19. However, after contacting, the band management informed that the band cannot not make it to the scheduled date, and the next date will be inform later,” Arwotki Sumer, headman, Panaliar said. Around Rs 28 lakhs was the expenditure on the travelling charges and other charges of the band, the headman added.He also informed that the band did not violated any of the agreement but will arrive with a decision within this month.
Suspected ultras surrender in Garo Hills
SHILLONG: Three persons – Dalkan Marak, Mejen Marak and Breanath Sangma – surrendered at Tikrikilla police station on Wednesday. They are suspected to have links with GNLA, UALA and ASAK and are also said to be involved in many crimes. In another incident, police on Wednesday arrested one Nurul Islam Akond from Phulbari. Police said he is the leader of a kidnapping gang of 15 members. Their modus operandi is to kidnap people from Phulbari, Tikrikilla and some places in Assam and keep the victims in Meghalaya.The arrested person is a resident of Dhubri, Assam.
Chillibreeze donates warm clothes to children
SHILLONG: Employees of Chillibreeze, an IT-Design company which is located at Software Technology Parks of India, Lawmali visited the under privileged children on December 15 at Providence School located at St. Edmunds College, Laitumkhrah. The company donated certain necessity items like warmers, socks, caps, mufflers and others. The employees of the company spent time interacting with the teachers, playing with the school children and singing Christmas carols along with them.
YMCA members celebrate Christmas
SHILLONG: Members and leaders of the Shillong YMCA visited ‘GRACE HOME’ at Mawjrong (Laitkroh) recently to celebrate Christmas with the children of the orphanage. Rev. P. Lyngdoh and Home Minister Roshan Warjri, who are board members of Shillong YMCA, shared the message of Christmas and interacted with the children. Others who spoke included G. Mylliemngap, President and D.L. Warjri, Secretary YMCA among others. Games materials and blankets were distributed to all the children.