State BJP unit celebrates foundation day
SHILLONG: To mark the 38th foundation day of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the stat BJP unit also celebrated at the party office. At 10am, the party president hoisted the Party Flag followed by National Song “Vande Mataram”. After that, the president along with senior members of the party lighted the lamp. It was followed by discussions on BJP’s success journey, history, and present scenario of the party, development and expansion of the party as well as on the role of their inspiring leadership. Many members from block level to state level along with senior founder members participated in the discussion. The meeting was concluded after the projection by the BJP Meghalaya IT cell, on highlighting the successful journey of the party and welfare policies of the Narendra Modi Government.
Intensive deworming
coverage on April 10
SHILLONG: The Government of Meghalaya under the Health & Family Welfare Department and National Health Mission is launching a fixed one-day school based programme to ensure intensive deworming coverage and targeted outreach in all districts on April 10. For those children who could not be dewormed on Deworming Day, they will be dewormed on mop-up day on April 18. Deworming Tablets – Albendazole – will be given free of cost to all children in the age group of 1 to 19 years of age in government schools and government aided and in Anganwadi Centers for out-of-school children. Children in the age group of 1-2 years should be given half a tablet of Albendazole (400mg), and above 2 years should given 1 full tablet to chew. The State Health Department and National Health Mission urge all parents of children in the age group of 1 to 19 years who have not been dewormed to come forward and avail the services provided for them.
Nongstoin MLA promise to look into pending bridge
NONGSTOIN: Nongstoin MLA, Macmillan Byrsat promised to write a letter to PWD Minister for the completion of the bridge connecting Upper New Nongstoin (Agriculture office junction) and Tiehsaw village which has been pending for 13 years. The MLA along with Acting Sordar of Tiehsaw M Dkhar, village secretary and other villagers visited the site where it was found that a pillar is all that has been constructed in the last 14 years. Acting Sordar of Tiehsaw village said that the construction of the bridge was started in 2003 but till date the bridge is lying incomplete with only one pillar. He added that the bridge will be the key to ease traffic congestion in Nongstoin. Byrsat assured the villagers that he will make a follow up regarding the matter and also claimed that for the next 5 years there will be lots of problem regarding traffic congestion in Nongstoin and the completion of the bridge will ease the matter.
City boy wins in national essay competition
Shillong: City boy Swarnava Paul from Army Public School, Shillong bagged the second prize in the 3rd National essay competition organised by the Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India, Shillong for the age group of 18 years on the theme “Drop of water holds wealth of life” for Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram zone. An empowered committee of jury members comprising of renowned professors and scientists hailing from Shillong selected the essays received from the zone. Rychismita Pal, Holy Cross School, Tripura bagged the first prize, while Nishan Sen, Kshudiram Basu English Medium School, Tripura bagged the third prize.
One arrested for possessing illegal arms
JOWAI: East Jaintia Hills Police arrested Md. Eman Uddin from Weilong village under Sutnga area for illegally possessing two country made guns including a pistol and a shotgun. Based on a tip-off, the police went and raided his residence and recovered the weapons, informed EJH SP, N Lamare.
Plying of overloaded trucks prohibited
JOWAI: The District Magistrate of West Jaintia Hills has issued an order under Section 144 CrPC prohibiting plying of overloaded trucks carrying more than 9MT along Khonsaro -Thadmynri road. The order has been imposed following complaints received from the Headman of Thadmynri, Kremmyrsiang, Khonsaro villages that plying of over loaded trucks has caused damage to PWD roads and inconvenience to the public. This order comes into force with immediate effect and will remain in force till further orders.
MeECL plays truant as Tura lives in darkness for hours
TURA: Thousands of citizens in Tura town had to face a harrowing time without power on Friday night courtesy the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL). To add salt to the wounds of the consumers, the MeECL helpline number of 03651-223937 was unable to get connected as the receiver had been allegedly lifted, deliberately or otherwise.This is the second time Tura has suffered a power outage within the last 24 hours. On Thursday power was repeatedly disrupted for most part of the evening.Power was cut around 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon and returned only at 9:57 in the night.What angered citizens is the lack of information relating to the disruption by the power department officials manning the Tura sector. In earlier times, the response from MeECL authorities use to be prompt with public announcements on the microphone while those manning the helpline number burnt the midnight oil answering queries from worried citizens about the power disruption. All of that has become a thing of the past in the last few years with MeECL turning into an agency reluctant to connect with it’s worried consumers who seek answers.
DC’s intervention sought into release of alleged extortionists
TURA: Petrol pump owners from Tura and its adjoining areas have urged West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner to conduct an inquiry into the quick release of four persons, who were apprehended on Tuesday afternoon in Tura, for allegedly impersonating as NGO members and attempting to extort money. The four persons, Troilen Deka, Rahul Choudhary, Kanak Baishya and Pitus R Marak while claiming to be members of an NGO, Jana Jagran Welfare Association, were attempting to check adulteration of fuel supply at S C Das petrol station in Hawakhana, when they were caught by Tura Police. The four had even claimed to have the authorisation from the central ministry for consumer affairs. In their petition to the deputy commissioner the fuel pump owners expressed shock over their early release and sought the conduct of an inquiry.“It is shocking that they were set free so quickly. They have visited various petrol pumps posing as officials of the ministry for consumer affairs and extorted huge amount of money from them,” they said, and urged the DC to personally look into the matter. Meanwhile, all attempts to contact the Superintendent of police to get his take on the matter failed as repeated calls to his mobile phone could not get through.
Umling residents upset with inappropriate MeECL billing
Nongpoh: Peeved over inaccuracies in the MeECL billing system at Umling village under Nongpoh Division, the local residents lambasted the department and sought clarification from the corporation. The residents were further aggrieved when they reached the MeECL office at Nongpoh for filling their grievances only to find that there was no officer available in the office even during the duty hours. Several electricity consumers of Umling – Kwalwis Nongshli, Rophina Diengdoh and Rist Lapang among others – told this scribe that bills which have already been settled are regularly added to the latest bill issued by the department for reasons best known to them.“This kind of overcharging by the MeECL has severely affected farmers and single mothers”, women residents said, while accusing the MeECL officers and staff of gross negligence. Meanwhile, the HYC Ri Bhoi District Unit has taken up the matter and said that the organisation will follow up the matter with the competent authority. The organisation has urged the government to upgrade the office of the Nongpoh Sub-Division office into a full-fledged Division in order to ease the problems faced by the consumers of Ri Bhoi.
Woman alleges ostracism
JOWAI: A woman identified as Suk Pyrtuh of Sohmynting village alleged that people in her locality ostracized her and her family members by refusing them to board taxis. She also stated that the headman has directed that she should be socially boycotted. Speaking to the Headman, Dapoi Pyrtuh informed that he had nothing against her. “I had never issued such directive to any member of the village or to any driver. It is a baseless allegation”, he said. It is also informed that the woman had a long pending court case against the village dorbar in connection with the wrongful claims of ownership against the plot of land which belonged to the Dorbar Shnong.“She had lost the case in the District Council Court as she failed to properly locate the exact location of the land”, the headman said.
One-day VECs conference held
WILLIAMNAGAR : The first ever District Level Conference of the Village Employment Councils under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) of East Garo Hills was organised here in Williamnagar District Auditorium on Friday. In the conference, East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, spoke about the ways and means for improving livelihood and creation of income generating works for rural households through MGNREGS in the district. He also informed that East Garo Hills is one of the districts where the implementation of MGNREGS is satisfactory and urged the Block Development Officers in the district to regularly inter-act with Village Employment Councils regarding the available schemes. The DC also gave away trophies to the ‘top-5 VECs for their satisfactory performances and Dambo-Rongjeng C&RD Block received the trophy for creating the highest job opportunity through MGNREGS in the district.