Politics / Meghalaya

TURA, Dec 17 — Politicians who win in the coming Assembly elections from Garo Hills are already preparing for a long ordeal thanks to militants who have issued diktats to them on how to go about their business. Approximately 26 MLAs will be elected by the people of Garo Hills in early next year. The problem for the new legislators will come from the two main militant groups in the Garo Hills, the banned A’chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) and the Peoples’ Liberation Front (PLF). While the PLF has issued a warning a month ago calling upon all the legislators of the new Assembly to work...

Shillong, Dec. 17: Setting all speculation at rest, the Congress Legislature Party last evening decided to continue being part of the ruling coalition led by the NCP, but many in the party still favour pulling out from it.

?The Congress in Meghalaya is still divided on the issue of pulling out from the NCP-led People?s Forum of Meghalaya coalition,? a source said.

While legislature party leader D.D. Lapang said the decision to remain in the government was ?unanimous?, party president S.C. Marak said he had no option but to go by the ?majority decision?.

However, the decision had not pleased...

Shillong, Dec. 16: The winter session of the Meghalaya Assembly, beginning tomorrow, could be the stormiest of the year as the Opposition is spoiling for a fight with the coalition government on the issue of cracking the militant-politician nexus.

The three-day session will be the last one before elections, which means the Opposition has just one opportunity to pressure the government into revealing the names of the four politicians who allegedly have links with militants.

Chief minister F.A. Khonglam had announced recently that all four were MLAs from the Garo Hills and continued to maintain...

SHILLONG, Dec 2 ? Meghalaya Community and Rural Development Minister, Maysalin War handed over the 1.33 acre of land for the establishment of an office for the traditional durbar of Hima Mawphlang and protection of the monoliths, which are a rare legacy inherited by Hynniewtrep community about 25 kms from here, reports PTI. Way back in 1964, the durbar of Hima Mawphlang had gifted to the then Assam Government 15 acre of the land in which the Mawphlang block of was established. Now on the request of the traditional institution, the State government returned part of the land (1.33 acre) to...

SHILLONG, July 6 ? Meghalaya government has fired its second salvo against the Khasi Students? Union (KSU) constituting a separate intelligence cell to probe the extortion activities of the student body. The cell to be headed by a senior IPS officer W R Marbaniang, Commandant General, Civil Defence and Home Guards and Additional Director General of Police, will also investigate the assets of some of the KSU leaders and cases of forced collection of money by the students organisation.

A notification setting up the cell is excepted to be issued on Monday, Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr F A...

SHILLONG, July 4?Stung by the charges of extortion levelled by the Meghalaya Government, the Khasi Students? Union (KSU) and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) today hit back at Chief Minister Dr F A Khonglam and Deputy Chief Minister accusing them of amassing assets and properties worth crores of rupees. KSU president Samuel Jyrwa and KHNAM president Paul Lyngdoh strongly refuted the charges terming it as ?a pack of lies and innuendos?. They demanded ?the Government must substantiate the allegations. The charges are all baseless and without any grain of truth.?

Addressi...

SHILLONG, July 3 ? In its strongest-ever attack on the Khasi Students? Union (KSU), Meghalaya Government today charged the student body of extorting money from businessmen, truckers and traders specially the non-tribals besides imposing labour-tax on outside labour. Chief Minister, Dr FA Khonglam and Deputy Chief Minister DD Lapang briefing newsmen at the end of the Cabinet meeting here alleged. ?The KSU is forcibly collecting money to meet the expenditure of its newly floated political wing which is contesting the coming Assembly polls early next year.?

?The Government will not be a silent...

SHILLONG, July 1 ? All is not well in the Dr Khonglam-led coalition Ministry in Meghalaya. Deputy Chief Minister DD Lapang, who looks after Planning and Finance Minister AH Scott Lyngdoh today lashed out at ministerial colleagues for submitting scheme for approval at the fag- end of the year unwittingly exposing the inner contradictions in the government. Their retorts against allies in the Government came in the course of replies to an innocuous-starred question pertaining to Education Department during the on-going re-assembled Budget session of the Meghalaya Assembly this morning.

Educatio...

SHILLONG, July 1 ? A son of a Meghalaya minister and four others were killed in an ambush by suspected Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) militants in Belguri in West Garo Hills district bordering Assam, last evening. Police sources in West Garo Hills district headquarters Tura said, 11 persons, including Jyoti Rava (son of Forest Minister Monindra Rava) were proceeding to Tikrikilla from Lakhipur in the district last night when the ultras struck. The extremists, who were apparently lying in wait, rained bullets on the Armada jeep, in which the victims were travelling, killing five and...

SHILLONG, June 25 ? Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura will be the first states in the north eastern region where Electoral Photo-Identity Cards (EPIC) have been made mandatory for the Assembly polls due in February next year. Making the announcement here this evening, Election Commissioner of India, BB Tandon told newsmen ?The Election Commission has taken a policy decision to make the EPIC mandatory for the coming polls to the state Assemblies in the three north eastern states along with Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.?

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will also be used in all the 1569 polling...