DGP wants jails to be upgraded

Plea for video conference

Kulbir Krishan Shillong, Feb 3 : Meghalaya director-general of police (prisons) Kulbir Krishan today said if the government had introduced video-conferencing facilities in Shillong Jail, the three undertrials could not have escaped yesterday. Of the seven undertrial prisoners taken out yesterday from Shillong Jail to be produced in the court of the sub-divisional magistrate, Mairang, West Khasi Hills, Hombreas Lyngdoh Nonglait, Romesh Margnar and Demand Roy Marwein had escaped from police custody. Police said the escapees are wanted in several criminal cases, including murder and dacoity. According to West Khasi Hills superintendent of police, M. Kharkrang, there were five constables accompanying the seven undertrials while they were on the way to the court. The sub-division police officer, Mawkyrwat B.D. Marak is conducting an inquiry, he said. “We are searching for the undertrials who are wanted in connection with various the criminal cases,” the superintendent of police said. Krishan said according to reports available, the three undertrials escaped from the toilet of the court premises at Mairang while one constable was guarding them. He told The Telegraph that when he was additional DG (prisons) in 2007, he had put up a proposal to the government to introduce video-conferencing facilities in the prison, but the government had not paid any heed to this. The undertrials need to be taken out from Shillong Jail to be produced before the courts in various parts of the state where cases are pending against them. According to Krishan, Anil Pradhan, who took charge as additional DG (prisons), sent a note to the government stating that the video-conferencing project was not viable. However, Krishan said the since the video-conferencing scheme is a central project, the government should have pursued the matter. The one-time cost involved in the video-conferencing facilities is Rs 17 lakh and the Centre is ready to provide the amount, he said. Krishan said when he joined as the DG (prisons), he had again written to the government to introduce the video-conferencing facilities in Shillong Jail and subsequently in Tura Jail. The Criminal Procedure Code, which was amended in 2008, allows video-conferencing facilities in jails in the country, he said. According to the DGP, if the video-conferencing facilities are introduced in Shillong Jail, the prisoners need not be taken out, but can remain in the special room at the jail and reply to the queries of the magistrates, even those posted outside Shillong. He said during President’s rule in the state last year, Meghalaya Governor R.S. Mooshahary used to communicate to the superintendents of police of all the districts through video-conferencing facilities. At present there are no jails in West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi and South Garo Hills. The prisoners are taken out from Shillong Jail to courts in far-flung areas of the state since the cases are pending against them in those districts. Krishan said there would not be any security risk on the part of the police personnel who have to accompany the prisoners, once the video conferencing is introduced in jails. It can also save time and speed up trial of pending cases, he said.

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Road blockade against uranium mining in Meghalaya

Shillong, Oct 20 The influential Khasi Students Union (KSU) has decided to intensify its agitation by enforcing a night-long road blockade on national highways from Tuesday night to protest a proposed uranium mining project in the state.
KSU president Samuel B. Jyrwa told reporters: “The three-night road blockade would commence at 8 p.m. Tuesday night and continue till 5 a.m. Wednesday and again at similar times Oct 21, 22 and 23.”

“We will make our agitation stronger until the state government considers our demand and revokes the leasing of 422 hectares of land to the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) for 30 years,” Jyrwa added.

The KSU’s two-night road blockade Oct 14 and Oct 15 to protest the proposed uranium mining project last week affected vehicular movement, specially night passenger buses and goods-laden trucks, on the national highways between Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.

Last week’s two-night road blockade turned violent when many vehicles including six government cars were set ablaze by KSU activists.

The KSU and several local parties have been spearheading the movement against the Meghalaya government’s decision to allow the UCIL to carry out pre-project development programmes in 422 hectares of the uranium-rich areas of West Khasi Hills.

A number of NGOs under the banner of Ka Synjuk Seng Bhalang West Khasi Hills (KSSBWKH) Monday issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Congress-led government in Meghalaya to withdraw its decision on the pre-project development programmes of UCIL.

Meghalaya Principal Secretary (Home) Barkos Warjri told reporters: “Superintendents of Police of the four districts - East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi - have been asked to ensure that the traffic flow along the national and other highways is not disturbed due to the night road blockade.”

Directing the police to take stern action against the agitators, Chief Minister D.D. Lapang told reporters: “The uranium reserves are a national property and no one can stop the government from using them.”

“The government has waited for 20 long years to persuade the people to allow uranium mining at Domiasiat in West Khasi Hills district of southern Meghalaya,” he noted.

Meanwhile, amid protests by KSU and other local parties against the government’s proposed uranium mining project, various organisations supporting the authotities’ move held a massive rally here last week.

The rally was organised by the newly formed pro-mining organisation - Associations of Meghalaya for Development and Advancement (AMDA), a conglomerate of NGOs from various districts.

AMDA supports the state government’s move to go ahead with the Rs 2.09 billion first-phase development by UCIL in the mineral-rich west Khasi Hills district.

A senior Meghalaya government official said the union ministry of environment and forests has already allowed UCIL to start mining for the annual production of 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore and process 1,500 tonnes of the mineral ore per day in West Khasi Hills district.

The UCIL has proposed a Rs.1,046 crore open-cast uranium mining and processing plant at Domiasiat in the West Khasi Hills district. Meghalaya has an estimated 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits.

“The UCIL would invest Rs 2.09 billion to undertake pre-developmental project activities to build schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure,” the official said.

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Employees strike hit govt functioning in Meghalaya

Shillong, Sep 7 (PTI) Functioning in various government departments was affected today in the wake of a two-day strike launched by fourth grade employees demanding implementation of the states Fourth Pay Commission with retrospective effect from January, 2006.

Thin attendance was reported in offices as the employees wore black badges and abstained from duty.

"We are not satisfied with the cabinets approval of the new pay scale to the state government employees with effect from January 1, 2007. The pay revision should be implemented with retrospective effect from January, 2006. If required we will go for indefinite strike from September 10, All Meghalaya Grade IV Government Employees Association president Odman Nongphlang said.

On Saturday, Chief Minister DD Lapang had threatened to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to foil the state employees plan to launch an agitation over the recent issue.

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Cracks in pro-mining groups

Shillong, Sept. 7 : The mushrooming of pro-mining groups and their frequent change of names have become the order of the day in Meghalaya where the government is inching closer to uranium mining in the state.

On September 3, Wondor Myrthong who was ousted from the West Khasi Hills Confederation of Associations for Development through Uranium Mining, an umbrella organisation of around 19 pro-mining NGOs, formed his own organisation called the Associations of Meghalaya for Development and Advancement (Amda).

The umbrella organisation was formed on August 25, a day after the Congress-led MUA cabinet allowed the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) to begin the pre-project development programmes in the uranium areas.

It elected Myrthong the chairman of the body. Leadership tussle among the members of the umbrella organisation compelled the NGOs to drop Myrthong from the post of chairman and make him vice-chairman.

According to Myrthong, Amda is a conglomeration of several pro-uranium activists from West Khasi Hills.

It is another faction of pro-uranium activists who were previously part of the umbrella organisation.

While Marthong was elected its chairman, six vice-chairmen, four joint secretaries and other functionaries were also elected.

On August 31 at a meeting in Nongstoin, the headquarters of West Khasi Hills, several NGOs under the leadership of M. Marngar formed the West Khasi Hills Confederation of Associations for Development.

Margnar today said with the support of more than 50 social organisations from West Khasi Hills they had decided to change the name of the West Khasi Hills Confederation of Associations for Development Through Uranium Mining to West Khasi Hills Confederation of Associations for Development.

“By West Khasi Hills Confederation of Associations for Development we are looking at the development of the district through various schemes and not only through mining,” Margnar said.

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Concert in Shillong today to pay tribute to slain cop

 SHILLONG, Jan 29 – The Government of Meghalaya will pay tribute to a policeman who laid down his life fighting militants by organizing a concert titled “Spirit of Freedom 2009” here on January 29.

The concert will be organized in honour of late DSP Raymond P Diengdoh who died in an encounter with the militants in 2007. He is one amongst the “Eleven brave hearts of the country”, who were posthumously awarded with the Ashoka Chakra, the nation’s highest peace time gallantry award, during the Republic Day celebration this year.

He is the first Ashoka Chakra awardee from Meghalaya and the North East. The concert will be held at the Fire Brigade ground here at 1 pm.

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Meningitis in Meghalaya

Shillong , Jan 22 : Nine people have died of meningococcal meningitis so far this month in Meghalaya and the disease was reported to be spreading.

Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department Anoop K Srivastava said today that nine people had died of meningococcal meningitis and some patients had been admitted to hospitals till January 19.

The cases of meningococcal meningitis were mostly reported from slum areas like Jhalupara, some parts of Mawlai, Lumparing and Nongmynsong in East Khasi Hills and from slum areas in Garo Hills.

Srivastava said the problem was not alarming and people should not panic. Srivastava said meningococcal meningitis was curable and the state had adequate medicines.

He admitted the disease might spread in congested places like slum areas.

An immunization and sanitization programme in the affected areas was likely to be taken up in the coming week.

Officials of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) led by Joint Directors Jagdir Singh and S Gupta, had visited several hospitals and collected data on patients and also met state health officials to take stock of the situation.

The state government was awaiting its report and recommendations for measures to tackle the air-borne disease.

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Manpower Crunch in NERO

SHILLONG, Jan 15 : With 80 projects to monitor in a year, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest North East Regional Office (NERO), headquartered in Shillong, is facing a manpower crunch that has impaired its effective functioning.

With a sanctioned staff of 32, the regional office is presently hugely understaffed as only 12 members are there to look after the eight Northeastern States.

The North East Regional Office set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 7 April, 1986 along with the regional offices in Bangalore, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal and Lucknow doesn’t even have a regular Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF).

Very surprisingly 22 years after the regional office was set up, the Environment and Forest Ministry is yet to fill up 20 posts some of it at the very top level.

Considering that the mandate of the regional office created by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is to monitor and evaluate ongoing forestry development projects and schemes with specific emphasis to conservation of forests, to undertake physical inspection of sites in cases of diversion of forest involving an area of more than 40 hectares, regional level technical and scientific consultation with the State advisory committee which are among some of the list of its job profile, the delay of appointing the required staff is perplexing.

At present the NERO CCF post is vacant with the Bhubaneshwar CCF RK Dey holding additional charge. He comes only for two days to Shillong office and inevitable all the files needing forest clearance get stranded in his office.

If adhoc arrangement of giving additional charge of NERO to the Bhubaneshwar CCF has been made then the second important post of Conservator of Forest is lying vacant.

NERO Deputy Conservator of Forest RL Sanga told reporters on Friday: “The shortage of manpower has certainly impact disposal of project proposals with the stipulated time frame of 45 days.

However, we try our best to perform up to our optimum.” In these 22 years of existence, NERO has approved 1,125 different projects and given the forests clearance in the eight Northeastern States.

According to Sanga, the job profile of NERO also involves traveling to different projects sites in the eight States — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. Inevitably, as there is manpower shortage, the effectiveness of this regional office is curtailed. NERO staff says that the position in other regional offices is far better as almost all the posts have been filled up.

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Science Congress Calls for Tackling Food Pressure, Environment

The 96th Indian Science Congress ended Wednesday at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Meghalaya with a call to the scientific community to see how they can tackle problems relating to environment, space and science education.

'The Congress has provided young scientists with great opportunities to know about the latest in science and technology,' Vice Chancellor of NEHU Pramod Tandon said.

'The five-day event has also succeeded in projecting the vital role of bio-technology.'

Experts who gathered at the Congress said the event rightfully highlighted the importance of producing enough food to feed the teeming millions, while sustaining the limited natural resources.

Thousands of students, teachers, including eminent scientists from across the country and abroad participated in the Congress which deliberated on various facets scientific development at several sectional meetings.

'We are exploring various options to meet the environmental problems and creating mass awareness and the need to educate people in all walks of lives about environment,' B.K. Tiwari, an eminent scientist, said.

Prof Taisei Nomura, Japanese scientist in the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, said the Science Congress has provided an opportunity to present a paper on cancer research in Japan.

'My task is to find a cure for cancer after conducting a series of experiments on mice,' Prof Nomura said. For some undergraduate students from Canada, the Science Congress held for the first time in Shillong was 'a great learning experience'.

'We could experience the uniqueness of different cultures and scientific views and we will use the knowledge we gathered in Shillong for our future studies,' Ramona, one of the students from Canada, said.

Five Nobel laureates - Prof Ahmed Zewail, Prof Yuan T Lee, Gerhard Ertl, Koichi Tanaka, and Prof Bert Sakmann - could not participate after their respective countries refused permission to visit India following the recent terror strikes.

'It is true some foreign delegates failed to attend the event due to the recent disturbing developments in India,' the NEHU Vice-Chancellor said.

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