New Meghalaya Assembly Building to be completed by August 2024

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Oct 26: Deputy chief minister incharge PWD (Buildings) Prestone Tynsong today chaired a review meeting and informed that new building of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly at Mawdiangdiang will be completed by August 2024.

Speaking to reporters, Tynsong said, “We have reviewed everything and now the work is in good progress and I am sure they will be able to complete it as per the targeted date made by the government and that should be on or before August 2024.”

Tynsong said that construction of the new dome will also start very soon.

“Now, in fact they have cleared all the debris and the foundation is already in full swing and now they have already also ordered the prefab items and very soon it will reach the site and they will start installing all those,” he said.

The deputy CM said, “Additional cost due to the collapse is not there at all but the additional cost on the basis of additional items but I don’t have right now all the details because we need to again discuss in the high powered committee because now my review meeting is only with the PWD builidngs and the contractors and also the PMC.”

He also expressed confidence that the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly may have its first sitting in the new building in the next autumn session.

Govt wants to turn Khyndailad into a pedestrian zone

Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh today said that the state government is committed to declaring Khyndailad a pedestrian zone.

“Our commitment will be to have at least one pedestrian zone immediately and that is Khyndailad. I also had a meeting with the Chief Minister and he is fully in line with the need to declare Khyndailad as a pedestrian zone,” Lyngdoh told reporters.

He said some access to local residents which will be on the basis of car passes will be issued but the entire area will be pedestrianized.

He said that the people who suffered most in Shillong are pedestrians as you have hawkers, you have motorists using every way and there is limited scope for people to walk around.

The minister further informed that they have already started declaration of parts of Shillong as no-honking zones.

“We are in the process. The district administration and the police are in constant touch and from the tourism department, we already started by declaring Orchid, Umiam as a no-honking zone and similarly, other units of the tourism department will also be declared as no honking zones because the USP of Meghalaya is the serenity, the quiet which is disturbed by loud honking and loud music which sometimes carries beyond permissible hours,” he added.

Refrain from creating social media groups with party name: VPP

The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has urged people to avoid creation of social media groups in the name of the party without the permission from the office of the party.

In a statement, VPP spokesperson Dr Batskhem Myrboh said the party expressed its happiness for the growing support of the people who in the last few months a few have become enthusiastic to create different social media groups including WhatsApp groups using the name of the Party in one way or the other.

“However, it is strongly advised to avoid the creation of any social media group in the name of the Party without the permission from the Office of the Party,” he said.

He also said this advisory is issued in view of two reasons: first is the necessity to maintain strict discipline within the Party and second is to pre-empt the efforts of any anti-party element from creating confusion and division within the party and also to malign the image of the Party.

“It is strongly expected that such unofficial social media groups, if there are any, should be deleted and no new group should be created,” the party spokesperson said while adding that the party shall not take responsibility for any untoward incident arising from such unofficial groups.

“It is expected that the decision of the party is respected,” he added.

Meghalaya VPP hopeful of forming government in 2028

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 19 (UNI): After winning four out of the 18 seats contested in the just concluded Meghalaya Assembly polls, the Voice of the People Party (VPP) is hopeful to form a government on its own in 2028.

ALSO READ: Budget session of Meghalaya Assembly begins

“We have been able to shape the party in such away that it gives our people hope and we want you to know that as leaders, we don’t have any intention to gain personal benefits but our goal is to achieve our target that in 2028, the VPP will form the government on its own,” VPP chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said.

Addressing VPP’s workers and supporters at the ‘gratitude rally’ organised by the party at Polo ground on Saturday, the VPP legislator claimed that many people have approached the party for ticket for the forthcoming autonomous district councils elections in Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills slated to be held next year.

“People from different parties have approached us for ticket. There is a constituency where over 20 people have requested for party ticket. This is because of the strong VPP wave that is going on (in the region),” he said.

Basaiawmoit said that the party has decided to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level and have appointed organising secretaries.

Hitting out at leaders of other regional parties for “acts of betrayals” which has denied the state to get a government led by a regional force following the assembly polls, Basaiawmoit recalled what had happened during the post-poll when leaders of regional parties along with the Congress and Trinamool Congress were making attempts to form a non-National People’s Party (NPP) and non-BJP government in the state.

“We (VPP) were betrayed by the other regional parties and we could not form the government. Therefore, we decided to be in the opposition,” he said.

The NPP, which won 26 seats falling short of five seats for an absolute majority formed the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA 2.0) government for the second consecutive term with the support of the regional parties and BJP.

Stating that the victory of the VPP in the polls is a “threat” to the NPP, Basaiawmoit said, “The NPP is not scared of any political party, but it is scared of the VPP because we may not be able to win many seats but we were able to win against the money power.”

“Many have predicted that the VPP will win only 1 seat but we have won 4 seats. We lost by a very thin margin in Mylliem constituency and the people there have admitted that they were not really in favour of the Congress but they voted for the party just because they want to ensure the NPP is defeated,” he said.

Meghalaya: VPP to organize ‘rally of gratitude’ at Polo Ground

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 14: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) will organise the ‘rally of gratitude’ at Polo Ground on March 18.

ALSO READ: Meghalaya: Ampareen Lyngdoh stresses on need for regular evaluation of depts.

In the rally, there will be a speech of gratitude to the people of the state for their immense support to the party from its president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, party spokesman Dr Batskhem Myrboh said in a statement issued today.

Also, there will be a felicitation for the composer and singer of the party song, ‘Kongdeng Kongnah ha U Prah’.

All the supporters and sympathisers of the Party are cordially invited to attend the rally, he said.

The VPP won in 4 out of 59 Assembly seats in the just concluded 2023 polls.

Meghalaya: VPP already gearing up for 2024 MP polls

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 8: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has appealed to the citizens of the state to support the party candidates for the upcoming district council and MP elections to be held next year.

In a statement, VPP spokesperson Dr Batskhem Myrboh said however, as of now the party has not decided the names of the candidates for these elections. “The matter will be decided by the party at the appropriate time,” he added.

Expressing appreciation and gratitude to all the supporters of the party across the state, Dr Myrboh said, “Your strong support has made a mark in the politics of Meghalaya when four of our candidates emerge victoriously to represent the issues affecting the citizens of the state. Your support to the party that stands for clean and principled politics and substantive democracy provides hope that the state of Meghalaya will one day be a model state in India- a state that we will be proud of.”

The VPP has won 4 seats in the 60-member House in the just concluded 2023 Assembly polls.