A driver of a truck, on Wednesday, sustained injuries when the vehicle drove off the road and overturned. The incident happened on the Shillong by-pass road at Diengpasoh under Mawryngkneng Block, East Khasi Hills District at 2:30pm. The 108 Emergency Service ambulance based in Bhoirymbong helped in shifting Anand Hajong, 28, to NEIGRIHMS.
On the same day, a motorist along with a pillion rider sustained injuries when their scooty proceeding towards Demthring hit the footpath railing near St. Edmund’s College on the Shillong Jowai Road at 10am. The 108 Emergency Service ambulance based in Shillong helped in shifting Sushil Chakma, 22, and KS Chakma, 30, to Shillong Civil Hospital.
Accidents across the State
Workshop for species identification by DNA fingerprinting held
TURA: A four day training and workshop on DNA finger-printing for species identification concluded on Friday evening at NEHU campus in Tura.
Organized by the department of horticulture, NEHU, the programme was led by Dr. Arindam Barman, Assistant Professor and his three member team.
The scope of the workshop was aimed at enabling researchers to build the knowhow and provide exposure to DNA extraction, PCR amplification and sequencing techniques and its bio-informatic analysis to identify a plant species.
As many as twenty-four participants from different parts of the country took part in the workshop and the techniques covered quantification of DNA, gene amplification using PCR, gel electrophoresis of DNA among others.
The methodology used for the training included lectures, demos and hands-on session.
The focus of the workshop was aimed at students, research scholars, government officials, mid-career scientists, university and college teachers who seek to extend their teaching and research skills in the field of Molecular Biology.
Some of the experts in the horticulture sector including Dr. Jebline Sangma, Joint director of Agriculture department, Meghalaya, Crosspillar K Marak, district agriculture and horticulature officer and the pro-vice chancellor in charge of NEHU, Tura campus Prof. J U Ahmed and head of horticulture department Prof. C P Suresh also took part in the workshop.
Abiogenesis bags Music Malt Song of Substance Award
SHILLONG: The second edition of Music Malt Online Fest 2016 winners was announced on October 18 from among a plethora of talents from across the globe.
The judges informed that they had a tough time deciding on the winner after going through hundreds of videos. After much debate and fighting over the short-listed bands, three winners with original songs were finally announced by the panelists who decided that their video created the perfect alchemy between music and visuals.
Nagaland based folk-fusion band, Abiogenesis bagged the Song of Substance Award for their album Voices In Kisama directed by Pritish Chakravorty. They are the only band from India to receive this prestigious award.
Besides them, the Creative Genius Award went to Strobe and Noise directed by Peter Varsics (Hungary) and Dream Weaver Award to Witch In Me by Cicilia G, directed by Jacopo Miceli (UK).
Voices In Kisama was premiered in VH1 India Rules in 2015. It is an instrumental piece with the two new Indian bamboo musical instruments, Bamhum & Tikzik, being played in the video.
Assam to give NRC progress report to SC on October 26
GUWAHATI: The State Coordinator, Protik Hajela will submit the progress report on the on-going process of updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), 1951 in Assam to the Supreme Court on October 26 next.
The NRC is being updated under the supervision of the Supreme Court . The dopcument is being updated as per the agreement reached among Government of India, Government of Assam and All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on May 5, 2005.
It is expected that an updated NRC will make detection of illegal migrants who had sneaked into the state after March 25, 1971, easier in Assam. The cut-off date as mentioned in the Assam Accord for detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from Assam is March 25, 1971 as per the Assam Accord that was signed on August 15, 1985 .
Assam shares 263 km of its border with Bangladesh. Of that, about 144 km is land and 119 km is river.
As many as 26 ethnic organisations, along withthe influential All Assam Students Union (AASU) have launched a statewide stir to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 which they say directly contradicts the historic Assam Accord which was signed in 1985 between AASU, Centre and state. It gives the right of citizenship to persecuted Hindus in Muslim-majority countries.
The incumbent BJP government in Assam has accorded top priority to the NRC update process.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has announced that the process will be completed by end of 2017.
He has instructed DCs and SPs of the state’s districts to expedite the process of updating the NRC in their respective districts.
Even as the opposition Congress has alleged sluggish pace in NRC updating process, the NRC state coordinator, Protik Hajela informed “Works of NRC update exercise are going on at full swing. Speed cannot be allowed to bulldoze quality in a `once in a lifetime’ exercise wherein maintenance of accuracy has been emphasised by the Apex Court.
As such, verification works are being carried out at an optimum speed to ensure that there is no compromise with quality.”
A total of 68.21 lakh families have applied for inclusion in updated NRC, involving around 3.27 crores persons who have submitted 6.67 crore documents that have to be verified.
About 4.94 crore documents out of targeted 5.96 crores documents have already been verified.
“The task of NRC Update is “mammoth” with the verification works involving unprecedented volumes of physical verification, computerisation and digitization,” the official said.
The government of India on October 19 last sanctioned additional funds of Rs 620 crores for the NRC updating process.
This would increase the sanctioned amount to Rs. 908 crores from the earlier amount of Rs 288.18 crores.
Swachh Kamakhya monitoring panel reconstituted
GUWAHATI: The Assam government has reconstituted the monitoring and review committee for monitoring of the works of “Swachh Kamakhya Devi Temple Programme” under the “Swachh Tourist Destination” programme taken up for ten iconic places.
The 15-member committee will be headed by the chief secretary as chairman, an official statement said here on Friday.
Other members include additional Chief Secretary, Tourism Department, Additional Chief Secretary, Guwahati Development Department, Commissioner & Secretary, PWD (roads) department, Dr D N Buragohain, Professor, IIT, Guwahati, president/ secretary, Maa Kamakhya Devi temple management committee, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M), Commissioner, GMC, Managing Director, APDCL, Managing Director, ATDC and an array of other officials.
The roles and responsibilities of the committee will be to coordinate with all departments concerned for developing Kamakhya Devi temple as “Swachh Tourist Destination”, to streamline the effort and monitor and review the progress on regular basis, and to ensure that the action plan for the temple is carried out as per the timelines and that all the stakeholder departments carry out the responsibilities assigned to them as per the action plan.
The member secretary is to keep close contact with all members and call meetings of the committee as per the time given by the chairman, on regular basis. (UNI)
Pul’s forensic report shows he committed suicide: DGP
ITANAGAR: The circumstantial evidence and the forensic report into the cause of former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul’s death show there are “99 per cent chances” that he committed suicide, state DGP S Nithiyanandam said on Friday.
IGP Naving Payeng said the Capital district Superintendent of Police had received the report of Pul’s viscera test from the Guwahati-based forensic science laboratory last week.
“There are 99 per cent chances that he committed suicide,” state DGP S Nithiyanandam told PTI.
The 47-year-old leader’s body was found hanging in the official CM bungalow here on August 9, less than a month after he had to quit as CM following the July 13 Supreme Court verdict.
Denying that he had given any press statement ruling out foul play in his death, Payeng said the report did not find presence of any poisonous evidence and confirmed it was a case of suicide.
However, all reports would be sent to the court, whose verdict on the cause of death would be final, he categorically stated.
Adding to the mystery, a handwritten 60-page note was found near Pul’s body, titled ‘My Thoughts’, which was sealed by the police.
A case of unnatural death was registered and the state government had ordered a magisterial inquiry.
The sudden death had caused a stir in this Himalayan state’s already volatile politics and led hundreds of Pul supporters to take to the streets, alleging foul play and demanding a CBI inquiry.
The state saw a major political churn last month with chief minister Pema Khandu along with 42 MLAs leaving the Congress and joining the Peoples’ Party of Arunachal.
The 60-member state Assembly now has 11 MLAs belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, three to Congress and two Independents.
In a swift turn of events in state’s unstable political canvas, senior BJP leader Tamyio Taga was sworn-in as minister on October 14.
This made the BJP coalition partner of Khandu-led PPA government to become an alliance of Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) headed by Assam Minister Hemanta Biswa Sharma.
The Election Commission on October 17 announced by-election to the Hayuliang Assembly constituency- which fell vacant after Pul’s death- to be held on November 19.
The PPA and the BJP are planning to announce a joint candidate for the seat while Pul’s third wife Dasanglu Pul is a frontrunner. (PTI)
Trouble for Cong as rebel MDCs set to join BJP
SHILLONG: Trouble is beckoning the Congress with a few MDCs, who are currently part of the People’s Democratic Front (PDF) in the KHADC, set to join the BJP.
Sources said that with the five Congress MDCs on Friday withdrawing support to the PDF led by suspended Congress member and KHADC CEM, PN Syiem, the stage is set for other MDCs who are supporting the PDF to join the BJP.
If this materialises, there will be a BJP-led KHADC, which will be a first in the history of the Council.
Sources added that except Syiem, some others who were once part of the Congress will soon join the BJP which in the long run will add more trouble to the beleaguered Congress affecting its prospects in the 2018 Assembly polls.
Since there is no anti-defection law in the KHADC, the members of the council are free to join any political party.
However, sources pointed out that Syiem will continue to remain with the Congress since he is also a legislator and if he joins any other political party, the anti-defection law will be applicable leading to his disqualification.
If the MDCs join the BJP before the by-polls to seven vacant council seats, this will be a boost to the party candidates who are contesting the council seats.
In addition, this will also boost the BJP’s prospects in the 2018 Assembly polls.
The BJP already has a member in the GHADC after Bhupendra B. Hajong contested and won from Salmanpara in South Garo Hills in the 2015 council polls.
The MPCC action of suspending Syiem had its fallout with five MDCs resigning from the Congress and extending support to Syiem, which was never expected by the party.
KHADC chief loyalists opt for ‘suspended’ tag
SHILLONG: The factionalism in the Congress became stark on Friday when over a hundred loyalists of KHADC chief PN Syiem from different units of the party declared themselves ‘suspended’ after their leader’s suspension for three years that was extended by the MPCC recently.
Addressing reporters after a meeting with the Congress functionaries at his residence here, Syiem said, “Party functionaries, including presidents, vice presidents and other Congress party workers from Mawsynram, Pyndengsohsaw, Syntein, Sawsymper, Dangar, Lawbah and Phlangwanbroi have unanimously decided to consider themselves as being suspended after the Congress party suspended me.”
He added that they would not hold any office in the party. However, he was quick to add that the Congress workers have not left the party but they are only considering themselves as suspended.
Contending that the Mawsynram Block Committee Congress (MBCC), of which Syiem was the former president but was removed from that post after the suspension, has been dissolved and is now looking for new office bearers, Syiem said, “The party functionaries have stated that they will not be part of the new office although they are part of the Congress party.”
“We will meet from time to time to discuss the future course of action,” the KHADC CEM said.
Meanwhile, Banraplang Hynniewta, assistant secretary of MBCC, decried the action of the MPCC and said that Congress lacked discipline. He said, “The MPCC suspended Syiem without any reason.”
P. Wanniang, president of Pyndengsohsaw Area Congress Committee, alleged that the Congress has overlooked the different party units in the State.
Earlier, a group of party workers who have been newly elected to the MBCC, under the new leadership of Khelor Kharnaior, had met DD Lapang after Syiem’s suspension.
BSF kills 7 Pak Rangers, one terrorist on border
Jammu: BSF on Friday said it had killed 7 personnel of Pakistani Rangers and a terrorist while retaliating to a ceasefire violation on the International Border in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir in which one BSF jawan was injured.
Pakistan Rangers, the border force of Pakistan, resorted to sniper attacks at Indian posts at Hira Nagar in Kathua at around 9:35 am, BSF said.
The Indian border guarding force launched an aggressive offensive against the Pakistani firing, BSF said in a release, adding seven Rangers and a terrorist were shot dead in the retaliatory firing.
Suggesting that the killings had been corroborated by Pakistani media, the BSF said “source input” claimed that a media organisation in that country was running a news item about death of 5 Rangers.
The strong response by the BSF came after Constable Gurnam Singh was injured in a sniper fire attack by Pakistani Rangers on Friday morning in the same area.
Singh, whose condition is said to be critical, was evacuated with cover fire to Government Medical College, Jammu. (PTI)
Cong withdraws support to PDF coalition in KHADC
SHILLONG: The Congress on Friday withdrew its support to the People’s Democratic Forum (PDF) coalition led by suspended Congress legislator and KHADC chief P.N Syiem. The party had extended support to PDF during the two-day session.
A press communiqué released on Friday said newly elected Parliamentary Party leader Manstudy Nongrem submitted the letter of withdrawal of support to the PDF following a decision by the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). The letter was handed over to Syiem.
When contacted, Nongrem said MPCC directed Congress MDCs to resign as Executive Members (EMs). He added that he had intimated the information to the three EMs to resign.
When asked why MPCC directed the MDCs to resign and withdraw support to the PDF coalition, Nongrem said the party felt that it had no right to support a suspended member who is the leader of the coalition.
On whether he would resign from the post of Chairman of the Council, he said, “The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council are elected by the members of the House and not by the PDF and this matter can be decided later.”
Meanwhile, Congress MDC PT Sawkmie resigned from the post of Deputy CEM and submitted the letter to Syiem. When contacted, Sawkmie said, “I have tendered my resignation as Deputy CEM and at the same time submitted a letter on my withdrawal from the PDF to Syiem.”
On the other hand, Syiem said he had received the resignation letters of Sawkmie, Lamphrang Blah and Jansing M. Tynsong.
Asked about Nongrem and Donovan Wahlang, the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, respectively, Syiem said they have not indicated anything.
With the withdrawal of five Congress MDCs, the PDF has the support of two Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) MDCs, 10 independent MDCs and 3 UDP MDCs.