2023 a success for BSF in Meghalaya

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Jan 4: BSF Meghalaya Frontier oversees a challenging 444 km stretch of the International Border with Bangladesh, grappling with tough terrain, unfenced patches, elephant corridors and heavy rainfall. Despite these obstacles, the BSF has made overcoming challenges a habit and routine, ensuring the safety and tranquillity of the border.

In the year 2023, the BSF Meghalaya Frontier demonstrated exceptional vigilance and efficiency. The force successfully seized smuggled goods worth more than 49.20 Crores INR, including Cattle, Sugar, Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN), narcotics and various miscellaneous items. Furthermore, 180 miscreants were apprehended, comprising 113 Indians, 67 Bangladeshis and 02 Rohingya who violated the sanctity of the International Border.

Beyond the border duties, the BSF Meghalaya actively engaged in ‘Civic Action Programmes’ to foster mutual trust and strengthen relations with the local communities. In 2023, troops under BSF Meghalaya organized 45 such programmes, including 24 medical camps, providing free medical checkups, medicines, and various essential items to the needy bordering people.

To showcase the spirit of cooperation and sportsmanship, the Meghalaya FTR HQ BSF hosted the BSF Inter Frontier Judo, Gymnastics, and Taekwondo Championship at NEHU, Shillong. In reverence to the martyrs of the motherland, the ‘Meri Mati Mera Desh’ campaign was organized across the Indo-Bangladesh Border in collaboration with the civil administration of Meghalaya state. The BSF actively participated in community service, organizing blood donation camps, providing emergency medical assistance and rescue operations in various incidents.

BSF Meghalaya is committed to safeguarding the Indo-Bangladesh border and maintaining the sanctity and tranquillity of the international border.

BSF seizes 10000 kgs of sugar meant for smuggling

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Jan 4: BSF seized more than 10,000 kgs of sugar on January 3 which was meant for smuggling to Bangladesh through different bordering districts of Meghalaya

Vigilant troops from the 172 Bn of BSF Meghalaya successfully intercepted a vehicle near the Sonapur bordering area. The intercepted vehicle was found to be loaded with a substantial quantity of sugar, intended for smuggling into Bangladesh from the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.

The driver of the seized vehicle was apprehended, as he failed to provide valid documents for the consignment of sugar. Both the apprehended individual and the seized items were handed over to the police station Umkiang for further legal action.

In another operation, acting on specific info, BSF troops of 193 Bn identified three suspicious vehicles approaching the bordering area under East Khasi district. The intercepted vehicle was loaded with the consignments of Sugar with four occupants. Upon questioning, the occupants provided unsatisfactory responses and failed to produce valid documents pertaining to the consignment of Sugar. All apprehended individuals, along with the seized items, were handed over to the Police Station Danger for further legal action.

Meghalaya State BJP waiting for central nod to new executive members

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Nov 9: BJP leader and cabinet minister AL Hek has informed that the list of the new state executive members is awaiting the approval of the central leadership.

“This morning I spoke to the newly elected president Rikman G Momin, who is on the way to Delhi with a list for the approval of the central leaders. After getting the approval, they will publish the names of the new state executive members of the party,” Hek told reporters.

On the party’s preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Hek said that his name is among the three ticket aspirants for the Shillong parliamentary seat.

“However, I don’t know who the other two names are. So we will see who from the three names will be the best choice for contesting from Shillong parliamentary seat,” he said while adding “Among the three, whoever will be chosen, we will have to work hard and ensure win in this upcoming Lok Sabha election.”

On TMC leader and former chief minister Mukul Sangma joining the BJP, Hek however said the door of the BJP is not only open to TMC but also to all political parties.

“Mukul Sangma can join at any time he wants. I welcome him anytime but we have not discussed so how will I know if he is joining or not. But for us the door is open to anybody who wants to come to the BJP,” he said.

Hek also said that he has no idea on whether Mukul Sangma is in touch or not with the BJP central leadership.

Govt addressing shortage of doctors

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 2: The state government is taking various measures to address the shortage of doctors in the state even as it will soon review the bond policy.

Minister in charge of Health & Family Welfare Ampareen Lyngdoh told reporters that the last recruitment was initiated through the Recruitment Board which was specifically constituted to quickly address the shortfall of specialist doctors across the state of Meghalaya.

“We are now going to readvertise this matter quickly,” Lyngdoh said.

The minister had recently informed the Assembly that about 397 new medical officers were recruited by the Board out of which 83 are specialist doctors. However, there is still a gap of 150 specialist doctors in the state, which is a cause for concern.

Lyngdoh also informed that the government is also sending doctors for short-term specialization programmes where doctors in CHCs and PHCs are duly equipped to deal with the more complex gynaecology or paediatric or even radiology matters.

According to her, there is a scheme of the government of India and two hospitals in the state – civil hospital, Shillong and Ganesh Das hospital – are now offering these courses to doctors and medical practitioners who have been on the job for many years and who are eligible to go for such kinds of programmes.

“(By) running these programmes, we will be able to quickly address the immediate shortfall of (doctors) in very important departments like gynaecology, paediatric, X-ray, and pathology. That is the mode we are adopting with the hope that at least ensure these specialists quickly get trained for a six-month programme and quickly go back to their places of posting and efficiently discharge their duties in those areas where there is a grave requirement of such specialists,” she added.

Meanwhile, the minister said that the government is yet to review the bond policy when asked on bonded doctors who refused to serve in the state.

“Several of these bonded doctors are now undergoing their PG programmes. Whether or not the government will increase the repayment in view of bonded doctors who do not want to work or serve the state of Meghalaya, we are yet to review that matter because if I am correct the review was done 3-4 years back. I will be looking at this to find out whether or not we still have to increase these bonds. I dont have the exact details of the amount of the increase in the bond but for sure we must ensure that that happens,” she said.

She informed that in the last recruitment, the government did employ most of the bonded doctors who applied for the vacancies of doctors in the state.

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On the other hand, Lyngdoh is of the view that “the doctors are in anyways clearing their NIIT examinations and are anyways proceeding for specialization in various PG hospitals and PG institutes then I think these kinds of situations or these kinds of doctors may be excluded from the purview of this bond.”

“Nevertheless, I am aware that this is an important agenda so that we may address the shortage of specialist, shortage of doctors in our facilities across the state and in the meanwhile the contractual doctors are in anyways been hired in the national health mission (NHM),” she said while adding that this is also helping the government to fill the gaps that are glaring there in the state of Meghalaya.

Further, the minister informed that the state government is now preparing to focus on tertiary treatments.

“We would like now to make sure that at least 10-13 big hospitals in various hospitals get upgraded to the best facilities so that these tertiary care centres will to a large extent address the problem of patients having to travel outside the state to avail higher facilities from hospitals to treat their various ailments. This is something which is going to be done in a big way and we are accessing several funding sources. We would like to see the state of Meghalaya progressing productively in the health sector,” she asserted.