Final day of Meghalaya’s Cherry Blossom Fest to begin after Church services

Organizers directed to adjust timeline of Cherry Blossom Fest

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Oct 26: The state government has directed the organizers of the upcoming Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival to start the programme scheduled on November 19, after church service following opposition of its conclusion on a Sunday.

Informing this today, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong also assured that the government will ensure that next year the festival will not be held on a Sunday.

“See if you talk about Sunday or Saturday or Friday see sometimes it happens the last day sometimes it happens it ends on Sunday or may be the starting it happens on Sunday or Saturday or Friday. Let me just assure the people of the State this is not that we really wanted to do it during Sunday but this is a programme of 3-4 days so it happened that it ended on a Sunday,” Tynsong said while adding “What we decided is we have already instructed even those organizers for this time since it ended on Sunday let the function start maybe after 3 pm in the afternoon of Sunday let it start after the church service.”

“I would appeal to everybody to let us be cool and calm and we will see from next year onwards to calculate the date accordingly so that everybody is happy and everybody is also benefited out of this festival,” he added further.

Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh had recently stated that there is a political motive behind opposition against the festival.

Tynsong however said there is nothing wrong in people expressing their sentiments about the issue.

“I would like to say that this is the sentimental step because it is so sentimental. People I think you understand well here it is known as a Christian state. Some of our church leaders or even members of the NGOs they have that sentiment, I appreciate that sentiment no doubt about it, from the government side I don’t say it is wrong it is right but for this festival which is going to happen next month I have already told you for the ending part to adjust accordingly, we have decided, we already ask the organizers to start the function only after the church service,” the deputy chief minister said even as he concluded by saying “We are all sinners, God have mercy on us 24×7 including you.”

Extortion leading to price rise: Ardent

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 22: Opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) legislator from Nongkrem Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit today sought action against extortion of different forms which has led to the price rise of essential commodities in the state.

While raising a supplementary query in the Assembly, Basaiawmoit said the price rise is a very serious issue and to a great extent affects the common man.

“Almost every week, there is an increase in the price (of essential commodities) and the main reason of the price rise is because of many extortions that are taking place in the state. So these businessmen in order to recover have to (increase the) price (of their commodities),” he said.

In his reply, the Minister-in-charge of Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Comingone Ymbon said the issue of price rise is not only in the State and that it is being experienced all over India.

He said that insufficient food production, increased fuel prices, climate change, insufficient rain and other factors have contributed to the price rise and inflation.

He informed that the state has a district vigilant committee to check price rises and that is why the department is capturing in all three markets – Iewduh, Laitumkhrah and Rynjah – by using a mobile app with GPS on essential committees.

On the concern raised by UDP Sohiong MLA S Lyngdoh with regards to alleged plastic rice, Ymbon however said the people in the state do not know about fortified rice and they said it is plastic rice.

“However, if people are getting plastic rice kindly ask them to complain to our department,” he added.

Earlier, the minister has informed that steps have been taken by the government to keep in check the seriousness of food inflation.

The department has instructed the districts/sub-divisions from time to time to carry out raids and inspections regularly to prevent hoarding and black marketing and to increase the prosecution and conviction rate and to provide the outcome of such raids.

“Also, action is taken on reports relating to offences under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 & the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980,” he said.

“Instructions have been sent to all deputy commissioners and sub-divisional officers to constitute the district and sub-division vigilance monitoring committee to curb tendencies of hoarding and black marketing to ensure that there is no hoarding and black marketing of commodities,” Ymbon said while adding that monitoring of prices of essential commodities through price monitoring centres is done and action is taken thereupon.