Staff Reporter

Shillong, Oct 26: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong today chaired a meeting to review the fire incidents in the State.

Speaking to reporters, Tynsong said, “Few decisions were taken where ultimately I have asked the department concerned, the fire service IG in charge to submit all details, what are the challenges that we have whether in terms of maybe instruments or in terms of infrastructure or in terms of manpower, I have instructed him to submit it to the department to the government and we will see one by one to meet all those requirements at the earliest possible,” Tynsong said.

The meeting was held in view of the recent massive fire incident at Khyndailad.

On the fire safety auditing of buildings, the deputy CM said, “That is also part of the meeting. That is why I am telling you I have already told the fire service wings to submit all details which means recommendations, suggestions, views to the government and from there once I receive all these, I will call the meeting again. That is why I have already instructed the IG in charge of fire service to submit all those documents.”

Tynsong said, “I will again call a meeting (on the matter). We will discuss in the higher authority (on the) need to come up with (fire safety) policy and SOPs especially in the urban areas which I personally feel it is urgently needed. Once that is done I am sure we will come up with SOPs and notification accordingly so that we will do it at the earliest possible.”

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.

The BJP Meghalaya observed the 133rd birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar in which various programs were organised throughout the state in district offices, mandals and booths in the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo Hills.

The daylong program included cleaning and floral tribute made by the party cadres to the iconic statues at the state central library complex.

Later in the day a talk on the life and contributions of Ambedkar was held at the state party office in which the Chairman of legal cell Mananiya SP Mahanta and State President of BJP Ernest Mawrie delivered the lecture note to the gathering.