Politics / Meghalaya

SHILLONG, Dec 15 ? In a day of fast-moving political developments, the NCP today split and joined the ruling Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government to be rewarded with four ministerial berths. With the split, the ruling MDA?s strength goes up to 49 in a house of sixty. NCP which had 15 members including an associate member has been reduced to nine as six of them formed a new group called Meghalaya NCP. The new faction has extended support to the ruling coalition. The BJP has two members in the house.

Rumours about a possible split in the NCP was doing the rounds since the last...

Somewhere in the Garo Hills, Dec. 10: The banned Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) wants former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A. Sangma as a facilitator in its peace talks with Delhi. In a recent exclusive interview to The Telegraph, ANVC general secretary Wanding Marak said the outfit had ?resolved to include Sangma in the peace talks?.

The ANVC, which talked of peace after a hiatus in the negotiation process following the killing of eight of its cadres by Meghalaya police, has been demanding a separate Garo state.

However, Garo leader Purno A. Sangma believes a separate state for the...

Shillong, Dec. 8: The Peoples? Democratic Movement (PDM) today formally decided to merge with the Congress. The general council of the PDM at a meeting held today unanimously decided to wind up the party. Though the PDM does not have any legislator in the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, its merger with the Congress will encourage the PCC to play a decisive role in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA).

The decision will also bolster the chances of the Congress in the district council election, which is scheduled for February 12. The PDM has two members in the Khasi Hills Autonomous...

SHILLONG, Dec 4?The Meghalaya Government will soon issue notification reserving three per cent job quota for the physically challenged youth of the State. Informing reporters on the World Disability Day on Wednesday, the Commissioner of Social Welfare S S Gupta said the government has already reserved three per cent of all poverty alleviation schemes for disabled people.

The government has also issued directive to the district authorities to make all new government buildings easily accessible to the disabled people by installing ramps and other arrangements for facilitating their easy...

SHILLONG, Dec 4 ? Fresh ethnic violence between the Karbi and Kuki in Assam?s Karbi Anglong district has halted the process of rehabilitation of over 4000 displaced Khasi-Pnar people now staying in camps in Meghalaya?s Jaintia hills for the last three weeks following threats of militants there, reports PTI.

?Since there is a problem going on, they (displaced Khasi-Pnars) want to be here (in Meghalaya) for some more time,? Deputy Commissioner of Jaintia Hills district L Kharkongor told PTI here over phone adding only 34 people have so far returned to their villages in Block-I and Block-II...

SHILLONG, Dec 1: Over 4000 people of Khasi-Pnars tribe, sheltering in relief camps for over three weeks in the Jaintia Hills district after fleeing their homes in Assam?s Karbi Anglong district following threats by militants, have started returning today, reports PTI. ?We have arranged transportation to help the Khasi-Pnars? return to their homes. They should leave today,? Jaintia Hills district Deputy Commissioner L Kharkongor told PTI over phone. The Khasi-Pnars, who had been put up in camps at Sahsniang village of Jaintia Hills district, agreed to return to their homes in Block I and Block...

SHILLONG, May 17 : If things go all right, Meghalaya could very well bid its financial constraints adieu. After well-over a decade, investigation and drilling of uranium deposits ? said to be in plenty in the State ? by the Uranium Corporation of India (UCI) have resumed in the State.

The UCI has conducted geo-physical survey in Domiasiat area of West Khasi Hills and was now negotiating with the individuals. The State Government was not involved in the process, Chief Secretary J Tayeng told reporters here today.

Process of excavation of the precious mineral had begun in Meghalaya in 1992 as Rs...

SHILLONG, June 15?Former Meghalaya Minister K C Boro was kidnapped by suspected NDFB ultras from Lakhipur in Goalpara district in Assam last night along with his wife. According to police sources here, Boro was going to Tikrikilla, in Garo Hills when he, his wife and driver of the vehicle were kidnapped. The former minister, however, reached Tikrikilla safely around 6 am today. His driver is also understood to have been released. But the former minister?s wife is still under custody of the suspected militants giving rise to speculations that Boro has been released to raise the extortion demand...

Shillong, June 13: Meghalaya police today said former minister Adolph Lu Hitler Marak would be arrested on the charge of ?harbouring militants?.

Marak, a minister in the previous E.K. Mawlong government, had been on the police watchlist for several years, a senior police officer said. The police had recently arrested two Achik National Volunteers Council members and another resident of Mizoram travelling in a government pool car, which had been allotted to Marak when he was minister.

The police official today said the former minister has made several contradictory statements which have given...

SHILLONG, June 13? Chief Minister D D Lapang Thursday said that his Congress-led coalition Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government would invoke the provisions of POTA if necessary to deter unauthorised liaisoning by politicians with banned militant groups in the State, reports PTI.

Stating that his government was aware of a nexus between politicians and militants, Lapang told a press conference after a Cabinet meeting that politicians in the State who liasioned with ultras without specific authorisation were liable to be prosecuted.

?The police are investigating these activities and...