By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: The first batch of 10 companies of Central paramilitary forces has been dispatched to Garo Hills on Friday for election duty.

The State had sought a total of 76 companies of paramilitary forces to maintain law and order during the polls which the Central Government has agreed to provide.

A police official said the 10 companies of Central paramilitary personnel arrived in the State on Thursday.

Due to a spurt in militant activities unleashed by the GNLA in Garo Hills, the region has become more vulnerable as compared to other districts of the State.

The GNLA tried to disrupt a poll rally of Jonathon Sangma (Independent) on Thursday near Williamnagar. Majority of the polling stations in Garo Hills have been categorized as either sensitive or hyper sensitive.

Though the ANVC (B) and its parent body, the ANVC, signed the draft peace agreement with the State and the Union Governments there has been no reduction in insurgent activities in the region.

Cases of extortion by the GNLA continue to be reported from several parts of Garo Hills.

From Our Correspondent

TURA: Suspected militants belonging to the GNLA targeted a government revenue collection point belonging to the Taxation-Directorate of Mineral Resources lobbing a hand grenade that failed to explode during the late evening hours of Friday in North Garo Hills district.

Preliminary reports indicate that the militants lobbed a hand grenade outside the premises of the DMR office in Dainadubi in North Garo Hills shortly after 6:30pm but the bomb failed to explode.

No one saw the device being lobbed since at the time there were countless number of trucks laden with minerals passing through the point and numerous truck drivers were disembarking to pay the required toll before driving off.

The grenade was noticed by some of the government staff on duty at the site who alerted the police.

As news spread about the hand grenade, police from nearby Dainadubi outpost rushed to the scene and evacuated the public and cordoned off the place. The bomb disposal unit of the army was also alerted to diffuse the device.

It is strongly suspected that the GNLA may have lobbed the grenade following non-compliance to their extortion demands by the department staff posted in the area.

In 2012, suspected LAEF militants had also attacked the same office compound by lobbing a grenade which failed to explode.

The LAEF had demanded a large sum of money from the staff manning the check point.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: The East Khasi Hills District Administration suffered a blow when the Shillong Bench of the Guahati High Court recently quashed a CrPC order imposing restriction on the activities of the executive members of the Nongmynsong Dorbar Shnong during the election in the State.

The proceeding under Section 107 CrPC was imposed by the District Magistrate on January 25 against the executive members of the Dorbar Shnong on the basis that they are likely to commit a breach of peace or disturb the tranquility or may indulge in wrongful acts in the ensuing election.

In the order passed on January 30, Justice T Vaiphei of the Gauhati High Court stated that the impugned order suffered from the vice of non-application of mind and is arbitrary and also contrary to the provision of Section 111 (CrPC).

Advocate VGK Kynta had appeared on behalf of the petitioners.

According to the lawyer, the petitioners are all respectable persons with neither any past criminal record nor any criminal cases pending against them.

The petitioners were of the opinion that the order of the District Magistrate was passed without affording them a chance of hearing and without supplying a copy of the police report on which the order was based.

When contacted, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal said the case is as per Section 107 (CrPC) where the members are issued a notice to come and execute a bond with the police and the district administration to prevent breach of peace in the locality which has been identified as sensitive in police reports citing incidences of clashes between supporters of different parties.

“It is just a notice issued asking them to behave properly. It is not a criminal case as such and if they challenge the order they will have to showcause clarifying as to why their locality should be exempted from this proceeding,” Goyal said.

Meanwhile, the Nongmensong Youth Development Organisation (NYDO) expressed shock over the criminal case filed against B Khonglah (Headman of Nongmynsong), Aplinda Nongrum (president of Seng Longkmie, Nongmynsong), Misdrop Mawkhiew (general secretary, Seng Longkmie Nongmynsong), Probity Nongpluh (vice president, Seng Longkmie Nongmynsong), Joshua Nongrum (president KSU, Nongmensong unit), R Shanpru (Rangbah Dong Umkdait) and Moses Synrem (Member Dong).

The organization condemned this action by some persons with vested interests stating that the members of Nongmynsong Dorbar and Seng Longkmie are all law abiding citizens.

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG: Reports have gone to the Election Commission of India about a certain high-ranking police official collecting money from suppliers in the Police Department, ostensibly on behalf of a senior Cabinet Minister and other Congress candidates in the fray for the February 23 election.

Sources in the Government informed that even the Director General of Audit (Central Expenditure) is aware of this and is taking serious note of the issue.

It is learnt that police manning the highways have been ordered by their higher-ups to collect money from trucks carrying coal and cement and passing through the various toll gates particularly in Garo Hills. Sources have informed this scribe that this money will be used to fund the polls. Sources have also stated that certain NGOs close to the present police establishment have been placated by allowing them to dictate the transfer and posting of policemen close to the NGOs.

Sources say that all these developments have taken place after the recent take-over of the top post by the new DGP.

It is learnt that the ECI is keeping a keen watch on the developments and that those managing the elections in the State have also been alerted.

Meanwhile, top police officials are tight-lipped about this issue and have refused to comment.

The complaint to the ECI apparently went from some private sources.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: UDP candidate from Mylliem constituency and former KSU general secretary Hamlet Dohling has denied that Congress MP and former Union Minister of State Vincent H Pala was campaigning for him instead of his own party candidate Ronnie V Lyngdoh.

Admitting the fact that Pala was his close friend, Dohling, who filed his nomination papers here on Friday, said, “There is not truth in this report. It is illogical for the Congress MP to campaign for me when I am a candidate of the UDP,”.

“I do not need the support of the Congress MP. I would want the people of Mylliem constituency to support me,” the UDP candidate added.

Clarifying further on the matter, Dohling said the rumour began after he attended a function of the Mawklot Dorbar Shnong as guest of honour where Pala was the chief guest.

“It was a mere coincidence that the sitting Mylliem legislator (Lyngdoh) was not present. After this, media reports projected that Pala was campaigning for me,” Dohling said.

The UDP candidate said that he had decided to contest the election after seeing the step-motherly treatment meted to the people of Mylliem by the previous legislators.

Asked about his priority, Dohling said improving road communication and health care facilities and promotion of employment avenues for the unemployed youth of the constituency will be among his main concerns.

“Having been in the KSU for a very long time I understand the issues which are affecting the youth of the State. If I am elected, I would see that the Government gives due importance to various problems faced by our youth,” Dohling said.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: UDP candidate from Nongkrem Draison Kharshiing said that the sitting legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit has failed to bring any development to the constituency.

“The people of Nongkrem are looking for development. There are many villages which do not have proper roads,” he said adding that the constituency still has many underprivileged people who struggle for livelihood on a daily basis.

The former Nartiang legislator said he was been associated with Nongkrem for the past 17 years and is aware of its problems.

On his decision to back out from the race for the Congress ticket, Kharshiing said that the INC was ‘a party only for the rich’.

The UDP candidate also expressed concern over the economic condition of the people of the State, especially in the coal belt areas, where a dip in price of coal will have huge impact on the commoners.

“I would personally see that the Government tries to address this issue if I am elected,” Kharshiing said.