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 Education Min Rakkam A Sangma emphasizes on collective responsibility to reform education system

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 11: Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on Friday said it is for everyone to shoulder the responsibility to bring the necessary reformation in the education system of the state.

He also assured the timely disbursement of teachers’ salaries.

“I will take every MLA, every academician and every stakeholder including NGOs on board while taking the education sector forward…Our NGOs are not only to go to the street, they will also be taken on board. I wish to meet all teachers for their opinions,” Rakkam told reporters.

After meeting with the officials of the department, the teacher-turned-education minister said he had already discussed with the chief minister on the need to resolve the salary issues of the teachers.

“I hope we will be able to solve the issue. It is my commitment and I will do my best that this issue will not continue again,” he assured.

Stating that providing quality education is on his priority list, Rakkam said, “We need infrastructure be it syllabus, trained teachers, taking care of the teaching community – it includes all. In this tenure, we will try our best to make improvements in all sectors. We will try our best as education needs major reformation.”

On the presence of too many categories of schools in the state, the education minister said, “We have a unique system which is not present in other states. In the last 50 years, we have travelled all along. There are many categories of schools but right now I am not able to tell the details but we are working out on what needs to be done.”

He said that the department will also examine the other issues including schools having a single-digit enrolment of students to ensure both teachers and students are not affected.

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.

Upscaling Hobby to Business- the story of Harador Khariong’s Plant Parenthood

“If done with full commitment and passion whether it’s art, science or music, one can achieve their goal to make things work better and the satisfaction you will get is beyond your imagination”— Harador Khariong, Founder-Plant Parenthood
For Harador Khariong, a resident of Wahingdoh Shillong, East Khasi Hills Meghalaya, Plant Parenthood started as a hobby and out of love for plants during her college days. This eventually became more interesting and turned to be a career option in planting in the year 2020, especially succulents because they were relatively easier to take care of.
It was during the Northeast Food Show 2022 that Harador saw few entrepreneurs with their stall under the umbrella of PRIME, after which she learned in detail about PRIME and how it has helped entrepreneurs succeed in their business. Therefore, in the same year she enrolled herself in the Pre – Incubation batch 3.
Through the PRIME’s Pre-Incubation program, she learned more about upscaling her business and ultimately launched the ‘Plant Parenthood’ initiative.
This article has been featured in collaboration with PRIME Entrepreneurship Meghalaya. To know more about PRIME, visit: https://www.primemeghalaya.com/