The elections of the 29-seat Khasi Hills District Council is likely to be held on February 28.

Sources said that the cabinet which met on Jan 11 finalised the date. A formal notification announcing the poll schedule is expected to be issued on Jan 28.

Sources said that the Govt has decided to maintain status quo with regard to the delimitation of constituencies. It is recalled that the Executive Committee of the District Council had earlier recommended to the State Govt. for notifying fresh delimitations on lines indicated by it.

Observers say that the proposals for redefining of the Constituencies were patently designed to suit the interest of the State based parties which are saddled in power in the District Council. Obviously, it did not suit the Congress(I) led MDF Govt to comply with the Executive Committee’s recommendations.

Meanwhile, the Congress (I) has maintained its efforts to its fold. Notable catches of the recent weeks have been Mr Dlosing Lyngdoh, Chairman Khasi Hills District Council and Mr Wilford Lyngdoh, former General Secretary of the HSPDP.

There are strong rumours that some front-ranking APHLC leaders, including a couple of MLAs, are soon going to join the Congress (I). A former Minister is said to be tipped for the Chairmanship of the State Planning Board.

New Party: The proposed new regional party – a combination fo the APHLC and the HSPDP – is yet to see the light of the day. The two parties were to complete all constitutional formalities before the eventual amalgamation. But it has already fallen much behind schedule raising doubt whether it can finalise everything before the impending elections.

According to informed sources, the two parties are thinking in terms of having electoral adjustments in case the new party cannot be floated.

The Congress (I), which has its tail up, is aiming at wrestling power from the regional parties. The party sources said that it would set up candidates in all 29 constituencies.

Why this delay: Mr B B Lyngdoh, in a press statement, has clarified that there was some delay in floating the new party since “the leaders alone cannot dissolve the parties”. As per Supreme Court verdict on the “merger” of APHLC with Congress in 1977, no party can be dissolved “without the consent of the general membership.”

The Statement said that a joint Steering Committee of 20 members, ten from each party, was appointed to consult the members all over the State. The work was completed within three months. On July 20 the Steering Committee convened a general meeting of the leaders which ratified the report of the Committee recommending unit of the two parties. Subsequently, the HSPDP General Council on August 5 and the APHLC conference held a day later endorsed the decision and appointed two committees representing the two parties “to work out the modalities.”

The Regional Coordination Committee of the Central Government Employees & Workers (RCC/, N.E. Region, Shillong has protested against the “gross discrimination” made by the Union Govt in granting Special (duty) allowance at 25 percent only to the highly paid Central employees serving in the North-East.

In a telegram to the Union Minister of Finance the RCC has pointed out that all the Central Govt employees, whether having all India transfer liability or not, serving in the N.E. Region were exposed to the “same hazards and strains peculiar to the region and are therefore similarly placed as they serve in the region.”

The grant of special (duty) Allowance only to the highly-placed ones ignoring all other was a discrimination” in favour of the highly paid, it added.

The RCC has demanded extension of the Special (duty) allowance to all the Central employees in the region.

At a meeting held here recently, the RCC decided to submit a memorandum to the Govt. through the Governor in a “Mass Deputation” on January 10.

The Assam Rifles Signal Unit celebrated its 27th anniversary on January 5. The highlights of the celebrations were a Pagal Gymkhana and Barakhana which were attended by a large number of Army and Civil officials. Brig R. S. Trehan, Director NCC was the Chief Guest.

The Signal Unit was raised on this day in 1957 to provide radio and line communication for the DGAR and all the Ranges and units deployed in the North-East.

The Assam Rifles Signal Unit not only provides the radio and line communication to the Force but it also extends these facilities to the Civil administrations and civilians in the far-flung and remote areas of the region at the time of crisis and natural calamities.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee set up by the Meghalaya Govt to elicit public opinion on the controversial Byrnihat Railhead project has drawn a blank on the opening day of its sitting – on Jan 7.

Despite wide media publicity, not a single soul nor any organization appeared before the Committee to air views on the issue.

The officials and the Members of the Sub Committee waited patiently from 11.30 A.M. to 3.30 P.M. but no one turned up. there was no ready explanation available for this washout.

Political circles opposed to the project claim that it was a clear testimonial to the “people’s disapproval” of the railhead project.

Mr Grosswell Mylliemngap, who is the chairman of the Sub-Committee told this reporter that some written representations, both for and against, were earlier received from the public.

He could not exactly say whether fresh date would be announced for the purpose, or the Govt would go by whatever representations were received so far.

The Meghalaya Supply Minister, Mr D.D. Lapang, has said that the prices of essential commodities in Shillong compared “favourably” with those prevailing in Gauhati. Those items which sold at “marginally” higher price in Shillong owed it to the additional transport cost.

 Mr Lapang was clarifying the issue of price-rise to a delegation of Tribal Women’s Welfare And Development Association (TWWADM) here on January 2. The delegation brought to the attention of the Minister the hardships of the common people following the steep rise in price of rice, vegetables, meat and other items of daily use. Mr Lapang explained that in so far as price of beef, pork, mutton and fish were concerned, it was not possible to control the price, since these items were being dealt with by individual traders and the sources of supply being indeterminate and variable.

 The TWWADM delegation pointed out that Tamilnadu and some states had made satisfactory arrangements in making these items available to the people in organised way. They urged the Government to adopt similar steps in Meghalaya. Mr Lapang assured them of examining the proposal.

The Meghalaya Power Minister, Mr G. Mylliemngap, has announced that a number of bore wells would be dug at Mawryngkneng and the neighbouring villages with the help of a drilling rig gifted by UNICEF.

Hoping that the bore wells would help ease the water problems of the region, Mr Mylliemngap, who was addressing a largely attended public meeting on December 14 at Mawryngkneng village, also told the people that the main cause of the water problem in the area was the indiscriminate destruction of forests.

The Meghalaya Power Minister, ‘Mr Grosswell Mylliemngap has scotched

rumours that the non-Congress (I) Ministers in the ruling- Meghalaya Democratic Front were joining the Congress (I).

He told the Shillong Times that he did not foresee any such possibility. Mr Mylliemngap said that he, together with some other Ministers, had attended the recent AICC (I) Plenary Session as an “invitee”. Explaining he said ”I had gone to Calcutta in connection with my son’s admission in engineering college. I took the chance to see for myself what the plenary session was all about.” Asked what would be the stand of the ”third force” (as represented by Ministers and MLAs who are neither with the Regional parties nor with the Congress-I) if a polarisation were to take place, Mr Mylliemngap said that they would explore the possibility of forming a new state based party.

He replied in the negative when asked if there was any possibility of the Government postponing the forthcoming District Council elections in Khasi Hills. “From what I have learnt about the Congress (I), they are highly democratic in their style of functioning, and I don’t see reason why District Council elections should be postponed”, he said.

Cooking gas may largely replace petrol in running of four-wheelers, if the on-going experiments carried out by the Oil India Limited (Duliajan) are any indication.

Experiments on an Ambassador car and a Mahindra & Mahindra jeep have shown that cooking gas gives 100% additional kilometer than the conventional fuel, petrol. While a motorist pays 60 paise to the litre on a petrol-run vehicle, the car run on a kitchen gas cylinder will cost 30 paise to the litre.

According to an OIL press release, the process of converting a car from petrol to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) system is estimated to cost some Rs. 4000. Installation of the kit is “not lengthy” nor does it require any “major modification.”

The experiments suggest that the durability of the car engine will increase at least ten times because LPG does not contain Lead, besides, the wear and tear of the cylinder walls and bearings would diminish since LPG is a dry gaseous substance, it adds.

The LPG carburetion system is simple and dispenses with the delicate jets. It also eliminates the fuel pump. There is no knocking of the engine since LPG vapourises extremely well resulting and smoother sunning of the engine than in petrol run cars.

A remarkable feature of the converted car is its “dual fuel system” which enables a driver to switch, on a dashboard selector, from LPG to petrol without having to stop the vehicle.

The OIL has, meanwhile, sought permission from the Assam Transport Commissioner and the Chief Controller of Explosives, to meet all necessary statutory requirements for running LPG powered vehicles regularly on public roads.

It is also carrying out similar experiments on diesel vehicles. “Smooth acceleration” of the vehicle and “no tendency of engine stalling” were noticed, the press release adds.

P&T jobs for sportsmen

The Postmaster General, N.E. Circle, Shillong will be recruiting 22 outstanding sportsmen and sportswomen during the current financial year.

Candidates who have represented the country, State, University or School, shall be eligible, for consideration of rules. The Certificates for the above should be from the All India Sports Board itself.

Prescribed application forms, and sports certificates forms are available in the offices of the Director of Postal Services, Sr. Supdt. Of Post Offices, Sr./Supdts of Railway Mail Services, Supdt. Postal Stores Depot, Supdt. Circle Stamp Depot, Manager, Mail Motor Service, and Gazetted Postmasters at different stations of the North-East

An elocution contest for School students on “The Need for Preservation of Wildlife in Meghalaya’ and Exhibition of Wildlife organised jointly by the Meghalaya Forest Department, the Botanical Survey of India and the Zoological Survey of India were the highlights of the observance of Wildlife Week here last week.

Ester M. Tariang (Synod High School) annexed the first prize and Ahmed Jamul (St. Peter’s School) and Manoj Kurian Mathew (St. Edmund’s School) jointly secured the second prize and B.Nongkynrih (Synod High School) bagged the third prize, while Miss M. Lyngwa of K.J.P. Girls High School and Miss D. V. Nongkyurih of Seng Khasi High School were awarded consolations prizes, Synod High School and K.J.P. Girls High School annexed the best school award.

In the placard contest St. Anthony’s High School and Sacred Heart Girls High School were awarded first and second prizes respectively.

In the essay competition P. Sumer was awarded the first prize and Bhaskar Purkayastha (Govt High School, Tura) the second prize. In group two the first prize went . to M.B. Lyngwa and the second prize to S.K Marak (Govt Boys High School, Tura).

Speaking on the occasion, the Meghalaya Forest Minister, Mr Rowell Lyngdoh, said that though the State govt has set up two wildlife sanctuaries, the attitude of the people towards wildlife, would have to change so that animals in these sanctuaries would cease to fear man and come out in the open and roam freely.

Among those .who spoke were Mr. L. Rynjah retired Chief Conservator of Forests Nagaland, Mr. Wahlang, Conservator, Wildlife and Mr. G .C. Das Choudhury, Divisional Forest Officer,Wild- life Division. In this connection a Wildlife Exhibition, which was held at the All Saint Cathedral Hall, was inaugurated by Meghalaya Chief Secretary, Mrs.P.P. Trivedi.

Territorial army day observed

The 34th Anniversary of the Territorial Army Was observed here on Oct 9. The programme included an exhibition on TA on the March, ceremonial parade and a flag march by the T A personnel. The ceremonial parade attended by more than .150 jawans of.119 Infantry Battalion (TA). The Commanding Officer Lt Col L R. Das took the salute.

Later, two columns of, the T A personnel staged a flag march through the main streets of Shillong.

Garo Hills Dist. Council poll

Electioneering in Garo Hills for the 29 District Council seats is yet devoid of the heat and fervour that are normally associated with any election. To a casual visitor to the district it needs to be told that an important election is only a fortnight away.

The usual scene of feverish activities, even in the scale of college election, are nowhere in sight. There are no posters, no banners and not even the blaring of loudspeakers. Only in some places walls have been used to sell a candidate.

Campaigning in Garo Hills is done at a personal level or at best at group levels. A candidate is expected to establish firsthand contact with most of the voters, and try to woo them by distributing favours either on the spot or by making a solemn promise. The ruling Congress (I) which is in power at the State is, it seems, better placed to attract the voters. Small wonder that most of the Garo Ministers, including the Chief Minister, and the MLAs have fanned out to mobilize support in favour of their party nominees.

Garo Hills have always been Captain Sangma’s bastion. At one time it used to rise in one voice at his call. Over the years the vote bank has eroded and, today, he faces a fairly strong challenge from his political detractors who vow by the regional parties. Although the Congress (I) enjoys a clear edge over its rival alliance, it would be a great mistake to write off the regional parties. Even in a safe place like Tura, the Congress prospects appear to be not-too-rosy.

In the prestigious Tura seat it is going to be a straight fight between Mr Godwin Shira (Cong I) and Barthiar Marak (APHLC). Mr Shira, a former HSPDP activist had contested the last general election unsuccessfully from Rongram. His young opponent is the eldest son of former Minister Mr Grohonsingh Marak. In Tura, this reporter gathered the impression that it could be a close race.

But Captain Sangma says with a poise of confidence “everything will be alright soon”. Sitting at his Hawakhana residence, he told Shillong Times that his party was destined to obtain an absolute majority. The Chief Minister, who had returned from Bajengdoba a little while ago, looked relaxed in his silk kurta and pyjana. No, he would not hazard a guess about the results. But he adds that some of the Independent candidates who were expected to win would join the Congress(I) to which they actually belonged. They had filed nominations after the party issued ticket to others.

Poll managers at the Congress Bhavan are hopeful of convincing victory. They claim that the stance of the regional parties on some vital matters relating to the State as a whole would help swing the Garo voters towards the Congress (I).

The regional parties have no office as such. In Tura the main centre of activities is the house of the candidate. A spokesman of the regional party alliance appeared optimistic about its chance.