DC’s notice to arms holders
TURA: Arms license holders from West Garo Hills have been given additional time to register their arms in National Database for Arms Licenses (NDAL) in view of representations received from various state governments and other stakeholders.District Magistrate, Ram Singh while informing that last chance is being given to all arms license holders to register their arms under NDAL till March 31, and urged all concerned to approach the licensing authority (District Magistrate), Tura with their licenses and obtain the Unique Identification Number (UIN) on or before the mentioned date in Room No 108 Additional Building DC Office in Tura.The official added that in case of anyone failing to register their licenses or obtain UIN under NDAL, such arms licenses will be treated as withdrawn and cancelled with effect from April 1. “All arms licenses not registered by the given deadline will be subject to seizure by police,” the official notification added.
Homeless man expires
TURA: A homeless man (beggar) who was undergoing treatment at Phulbari CHC in West Garo Hills has reportedly expired on Thursday. The OC of Phulbari Police Station informed that the body of the deceased is being kept at Tura Civil Hospital Morgue and has urged relatives if any, to take possession of the body.
Crime against women and children on the rise
SHILLONG: Despite concerns and several awareness programmes organised by the state government and non-governmental organisations, crime against women and children in the state is still on the rise. As per the statistics of Meghalaya police, as many as 360 crime cases against children were reported in the year 2017 while the number for crime cases against women was 594. In the preceding year of 2016, the number of crime cases against children was 240 while the number of crime against women was 398. Last year, a massive number of as many as 298 crime cases were registered under different sections of Protection of Child against Sexual Offence (POCSO) while 119 cases of rapes were also registered.
NE to get project to prevent diabetic blindness
SHILLONG: A project titled ‘Preventing Diabetic Blindness (PDB)’, which was conceived and implemented in 2015 by the then Indian Medical Association, will be launched on Saturday for the northeastern region. To commemorate the launch of the project, the Indian Medical Association and All India Ophthalmic Society in collaboration with Bansara Eye Care Centre and Society for Promotion of Eye Care and Sight will organise an awareness campaign and a free diabetic screening and diabetic retinopathy camp. The camp will be from 11 am to 4 pm. Governor Ganga Prasad will be the chief guest. The project, initiated by A Marthanda Pillai, is going on in full swing on a national scale for the last three years.
Facilitating adoption of siblings and their separation
Shillong: The CEO, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), New Delhi informed all Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) to ensure facilitation of siblings being placed in adoption, keeping in mind the best interest of the children. The Steering Committee CARA has decided that the decision to separate siblings should be taken on case to case basis, the prime consideration of keeping the best interests of children should be kept in mind as per General Principles stipulated in Section 3 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The consent of the older children and inputs from the agency/Child Welfare Agencies (CWCs) can be forwarded to the authority considering their separation. Considerations which may merit the separation of siblings are if age difference of the siblings is far apart, if one of the siblings is a special needs child and if one of the siblings is unwilling to go in adoption.