Principal denies illegal fee collection charge
SHILLONG: Reacting to news report that parents of students studying at Shillong Public School have expressed displeasure over illegal collection of fees, Principal of the school, Aaron S. Warjri, on Wednesday clarified that the money collected was not fees but school development fund.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, he said, “It is a onetime payment which parents can pay anytime. The school development fund is Rs.2400 per student p.a. whereas for students taking up computer science the school development fund is Rs.2900.”
“It is not tuition fee as alleged,” he said.
He informed that the Education department of the State government had directed, in 2015, collection of development fees in Shillong Public School, Jowai Public School, Tura Public School and Pine Mount School as these schools fall in the category of ‘specified schools’ as per section 2, clause (p) of the Right of Children to free and Compulsory Education, Act, 2009.
“I am surprised as to why the parents have to meet the press. They should have confronted me directly if they found anything wrong,” Warjri added.
On the allegation that sports tunics are changed every year, he stated that it is up to the parents but usually there is need for new tunics every year since clothes can experience a lot of wear and tear.
Age determination test for murder accused
SHILLONG: Police would pray before the Court to give permission to carry out an ossification test to determine the actual age of the accused who allegedly killed an 18 year old girl and later hanged the body from a tree at Sngilawiar near Mawsaw Mihngi village in South West Khasi Hills earlier this month.
Police said the birth certificate of the accused Tekstarly Lyngkhoi of Mawsaw Mihngi shows him as being less than 18 years whereas his baptism record shows that he is 18 years old.
However, police said the accused would undergo the trial as an adult in view of the new juvenile justice Act.
The accused at the moment has been sent to a juvenile home.
According to police, the accused has confessed that he killed the girl and later hanged her body from a tree.
Police also ruled out the involvement of any other person in the incident.
Police would also send the biological samples of the accused and the victim for forensic analysis.
It may be reminded that police are yet to get the postmortem report of the victim.
Conference on plight of domestic workers
SHILLONG: A round table conference on the theme ‘Regulate Domestic Works and Recognize Domestic Workers as Workers’ was organized by the National Domestic Workers’ Movement (NDWM), Meghalaya, on Wednesday which saw the participation of Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR), Nongthymmai MLA Jemino Mawthoh and representatives from the Labour department.
Mawthoh observed that people’s attitude has changed where discrimination is visible signifying a changed social set-up different from the past and which deviates from the ethical system of the Khasis-Jaintias known to be God-fearing people.
He pointed out to a statement given by the NDWM where domestic workers have to bear abuses of various kinds.
“According to NDWM, over 500 cases of physical and sexual abuse against domestic workers and more than 1000 cases of financial abuse have been reported in Meghalaya which indicates the physical and mental trauma the domestic workers have to go through,” Mawthoh said.
Lauding the efforts of domestic workers, he said, “Their contribution cannot be underestimated. The International Labour Organization Convention has recognized the contributions of domestic workers in the economy of the state and the global market as a whole.”
“In urban areas, most household chores are done by domestic workers as well as taking care of the owner’s children; it would be impossible to not appreciate their contributions,” Mawthoh said.
“One has to delve deep in the subject to study whether domestic workers are also within the purview of the labour laws of the Labour department and are getting benefits like all other labourers,” he said.
Dorbar clarifies on police statement
SHILLONG: The Dorbar Dong Demseiniong, Laitumkhrah, has clarified on the allegation of the Police department in terming Demsieniong /Polo as the hub of illicit IMFL sale.
Reacting to the Police statement that raids would continue at Keating Road to ensure that it does not become another Demseiniong or Polo, the Dorbar Dong claimed that the hub of local and IMFL liquor was situated at Urkaliar and not Demseiniong.
“The Urkaliar area has become a den of local and IMFL liquor and it is a hot spot during bandh, dry days and every Sundays. Sting operations may be conducted by the Police department to reveal the truth,” said the headman.