Meghalaya’s adhoc teachers demand service upgradation to deficit

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 23: The Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM) has sought the intervention of the education minister Rakkam A Sangma for upgrading the services of all adhoc school teachers to deficit.

In this regard, FASTOM president Diningroy Marwein informed that a memorandum in this regard was also submitted to the minister for necessary action.

He said the federation has demanded that all adhoc school teachers right from lower primary to higher secondary should be upgraded to deficit.

Marwein said the federation also reminded the minister on the other long pending demands which include the 5 percent increment annually and the extension of retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

“During the meeting, the education minister has assured to find ways and means to solve our pending demands,” he added.

Harijan Colony Issue: Meghalaya Govt to meet HPC on relocation from Sweepers’ Colony

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 21: The state government has decided to soon invite the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) for discussion on the proposal to relocate the 342 families of Sweeper’s Colony from Them Iew Mawlong to the existing land of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB).

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This came a day after the HPC had submitted its reply on the Meghalaya government’s blueprint and alleged that the proposal of the government was “incomplete, unsuitable, unprepared, unfair and undemocratic.”

A meeting was also convened by the deputy chief minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong in presence of deputy chief minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar with officials of the government to discuss the issue here today.

“First of all we have to study the reply (submitted by the HPC) and see what they have stated and based on that we will call a meeting,” Dhar told reporters while informing that likely the government will invite the HPC for discussion next week.

He said the meeting convened by Tynsong, who is also chairman of the high level committee (HLC), has discussed how to move forward on the matter.

On the HPC’s decision to stick with their original demand, Dhar however said, “They (HPC) have the right to demand whatever they want and as a government we will examine it whether it is feasible or not. That is the reason why negotiation and discussion is still going on.”

“We will see after discussion we will see what the next course of action is. It is not appropriate for me to tell on the next course of action,” he added.

Reiterating that negotiation is still on with the HPC, the deputy chief minister said, “Hopefully, there is a positive result between the government and them and (the matter) will end peacefully. We want them to work with the government.”

In a statement issued yesterday, HPC secretary Gurjit Singh had reiterated that, “our original demands presented in the “Eight-point resolution” still stand and we will not buckle under political duress merely because it is convenient for the government to do so and simply because due to passage of time, the land has become a commercial goldmine.”

On September 29, last year the state government had presented the blueprint to the HPC during a meeting, which indicated its decision to construct multi-storey flats at the existing official quarters of the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) for relocation of the 342 families.

The state government had completely rejected the April 25,2022-proposal of the HPC that 200 square meters of land be provided to each of the 342 families within the European ward besides bearing the cost of construction of their homes.

The Harijan Panchayat Committee which, despite all odds, has been spearheading a battle for rights of the residents since the last three decades, has in its detailed reply to the government said that the disputed land belongs to the Syiem of Mylliem, and not to the government and any attempt by the government to buy it is in violation of the Meghalaya Land Transfer Act.

Meghalaya Budget Session to commence from March 20

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 13: The budget session of the eleventh Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will be held from March 20 to March 28.

The calendar for the upcoming session was approved during a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) chaired by the Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma here today.

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The meeting was attended by deputy chief minister in-charge parliamentary affairs Prestone Tynsong, former minister Lahkmen Rymbui and opposition members – Charles Pyngrope of the AITC and Dr Celestine Lyngdoh of the Congress.

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“We decided to have a full budget session starting from March 20 till March 28,” Sangma told reporters.

“Since it is the financial year ending month so our officials and the government need to clear all the pending financial issues so we decided to end the budget session on March 28 so that March 29 to 31 will be available for the officials in the secretariat and districts to clear the financial dues,” he added.

He said there will be seven working days of which government business has been allotted for five days while for private members’ business for two days.

Sangma also informed that the election of the Deputy Speaker will be held on March 20.

“We are giving notification from tomorrow so that intending candidates can file their nominations and we will have the election on the first day of the budget session,” he said.

The Speaker said, “It is up to them (opposition parties). If they file the nomination everyone is welcome. But if they don’t file, of course like me, the deputy speaker will also be elected unopposed.”

When asked, Sangma said, “It is five days for government business. It is at the discretion of the Speaker so I may extend the time. I have sat in parliament where discussion went till midnight 12 am so if not till midnight but will have till late evening if necessary if required.”

Meanwhile, the Speaker informed that he has received applications from the Congress and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) requesting for his recognition while the Voice of the People Party has not submitted any kind of indication to be part of the opposition bench.

“The office is examining the matter,” he said while adding that the Congress and AITC are seeking recognition as separate entities and not as a Forum.

Meghalaya Govt to invite HPC for talks on Them Iew Mawlong issue

Staff Reporter

Shillong, March 12: Meghalaya government has decided to invite the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) after the Assembly’s Budget session for discussion on the issue of relocating the residents of Sweepers’ Colony from Them Iew Mawlong.

“We will invite them after the Assembly’s session and try to resolve the issue,” Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar said over phone.

Dhar said that he would also discuss the issue with the Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong before inviting the HPC for talks.

On February 16, the Meghalaya High Court has asked the state government to immediately resolve the issue after the Assembly elections.

“The State should make every endeavour, immediately after the election, to resolve the matter since it has been represented on behalf of the State on previous occasions that several parcels of land had been identified for the resettlement of the members of the first respondent body,” the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee had said in its order.

The bench had said that the matter has been adjourned for a considerable period of time on the joint representation of the parties that an amicable settlement will be arrived at. The next hearing on the matter will be held on March 17.

Elections to the 59 out of 60 Assembly seats concluded recently.