Ronnie quits Leader of Opposition post
SHILLONG, Aug 27: Congress leader Ronnie V Lyngdoh on Tuesday resigned from the post of Leader of Opposition. A notification from the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly said Lyngdoh has tendered his resignation from the post. According to reports, the TMC is likely to get the post of Leader of Opposition. Mukul and party’s state chief Charles Pyngrope are the frontrunners. Asked if the TMC will write to the Assembly Speaker, TMC state chief Charles Pyngrope said, “Writing to the Speaker is just putting your mind into paper but we are governed by a set of rules. I am sure that the office of the Speaker will inform us as to how things have to be taken forward.” VPP president Ardent Basaiawmoit said, “I can’t say right now. If there is a way we can claim may be we will do it. We have only four MLAs and we need the support of either the TMC or Congress leader Ronnie (Lyngdoh), so we will have to work it out.”
Govt to set up 3.5-acre green space in city
SHILLONG, Aug 27: The state government is contemplating to construct a 3.5 acre public green space right in the heart of the city. Disclosing this in the Assembly on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said the green space will be constructed at the existing PWD complex in Barik. He said that the government has also initiated the process of shifting the PWD office from there. Meanwhile, sources said that the government is currently working on the design for the project. The objective behind the anticipated project is to create an iconic public space that will promote the cultural heritage, offer rich experience to tourists, and provide a social gathering place for the residents. The planned open gathering space will host events, including melas and festivals. The project would also provisions for parking, taxi drop-off points, a children’s park and a dedicated area for hoisting the national flag.
Ardent highlight concerns over rising temperatures in state
SHILLONG, Aug 27: Amid growing concerns over climate change, VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit voiced apprehensions in the Assembly on Tuesday, raising the issue of the state’s abnormal rise in temperature, particularly in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region. He criticised the state government for seemingly overlooking the impact of climate change and its collateral damage on the environment and ecology. A study by IIT Gandhinagar’s Water & Climate Lab shows that Meghalaya’s annual average temperature has increased significantly between 1981 and 2012. Projections suggest further temperature rises by 2040, exacerbating the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like floods and landslides. In response, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong acknowledged the pressing issue and detailed the measures the state government has taken to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Meghalaya.