Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 14: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) today decided to put Iewduh – the oldest traditional market in the region – under CCTV surveillance to ensure the safety and security of traders and the general public.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Committee on Safety, Security and Cleanliness of Iewduh was convened by the KHADC chief executive member (CEM) Pyniaid Sing Syiem and attended by EM in-charge market Grace Mary Kharpuri, EM in-charge development Carnes Sohshang and representatives of various localities – Mawkhar, Umsohsun, Mission Compound, Wahthapbru, Qualapatty, Riatsamthiah and Wahingdoh – besides officials from the district administration.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Syiem informed that the Committee has decided to seek funds from the Fifteen Finance Commission to construct and renovate public toilets, drainage systems and install new water pipes at Iewduh.

“The committee has also decided to install CCTV cameras and solar lightings in and around Iewduh to monitor any untoward incidents and to instil a sense of safety and security among the traders and market goers,” he said.

The CEM also said that the committee has also decided to conduct an inspection in Iewduh for the installation of a check gate to monitor the entry and exit of people and to prevent theft and anti-social elements, especially during nighttime.

Meanwhile, the committee has also decided to ban overnight staying in Iewduh and also to take action against shop owners who converted their shops into residence complexes and against those involved in gambling.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 11: Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma today suggested the need to send the buses under the Sustainable Transport and Efficient Mobility Society (STEMS) programme for schools and colleges in the different districts of the state after they have no takers in Shillong.

“If there are no takers in Shillong, we should send them (STEM buses) to the colleges and schools across the state,” Sangma told reporters.

He said that the majority of the parents are not in line to take the service buses. “Therefore, we have decided to discuss with the Urban affairs department that if the schools and colleges within the Shillong city don’t want to use the buses, we should send them to other districts of the state. We will take up the matter with the urban affairs department and we will do the needful,” the minister added.

He said that the government is trying to give the best services to the people but parents seem to be not willing to trust others in sending their children to school.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 7: Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma has informed that ninety-nine per cent of the colleges in Meghalaya have started the implementation of the 4-year degree courses under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the colleges affiliated with the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) have already implemented the NEP by starting the classes for the 4-year degree courses. We are in touch with the heads of the different institutions and their management,” Sangma told reporters yesterday.

He said the State government had earlier written to NEHU that some of the colleges had expressed their inability to implement the NEP.

“However after deliberation on the need of the hour and the urgency of this introduction, now all the colleges have implemented (NEP) and they have taken the importance of the future of our students,” he added.

Referring to the ongoing stalemate between the NEHU and the Meghalaya College Teachers Association (MCTA) and NEHUTA, the minister said, “We request them to sort things out because there is no opposition from any student, principal or management (against NEP implementation).”

He said the government now leaves it to the heads of the different institutions and their management to decide on the NEP.

When asked, Sangma said, “If we continue with the 3-year degree courses, our students will graduate in 2026 and in 2026, where our students will go for admission. If they go to Assam, Delhi and other state universities since they already implemented NEP and 4-year degree courses, I doubt whether our students will be eligible for further studies for postgraduate courses or not.”

“I think they will make their own decision but students’ future is top priority because our colleges are affiliated to NEHU and whatever decision is taken by it, they will have to follow,” he said.

Meanwhile, the education minister informed that the State government is coming up with its own curriculum in line with NEP.

“NEP is a broad subject. From elementary, upper primary, secondary and higher education, we are already implementing it. Lots of training is going on. Since the national curriculum framework has just been rolled out one week back, we are examining this and so we will come up with our own curriculum which will be best suited for our environment,” he added.

Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma has informed that the government is examining the proposal to adopt the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) syllabus in the state.

“We are now examining the proposal to adopt the CBSE curriculum in order to improve the confidence and standards of our students in the state,” Sangma told reporters today.

“It may not be whole but certain sections and step by step we are exploring on how to bring the best education environment for the students,” he added.

The minister further asserted that the whole idea is to ensure the confidence and standard of the students of the state will be at par with the rest of the country.

Thirty-two areas have been identified along the two rivers – Umkhrah and Umshyrpi – for setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) even as hefty fines have been imposed against direct discharging of sewage into water bodies.

Forty-five days was also given to the concerned authority to take corrective action against mining activities in and around the Umkhen river, which will become the main source of water supply for the new Shillong township.

This was informed by the Chief Secretary DP Wahlang after a meeting on rejuvenation and restoration of these three major rivers of Shillong in the presence of the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar on Friday.

Different stakeholders including traditional heads and members of civil society groups also attended the meeting, which also highlighted the operative part of the orders passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) towards cleaning and reviving the water bodies of these major rivers.

“The basic focus was basically on the collective responsibility and also working together with one objective and that is to clean up Umkhrah, Umshyrpi and Umkhen which will be future source of water supply scheme in new Shillong,” Wahlang told reporters.

“It was a good meeting as all of us was in one mind and unanimously agreed that we should work together with the various agencies and the civil society groups and the headmen and I am sure that concrete results will be visible very soon,” he added.

Asked on the steps taking to stop direct discharge of liquid and solid waste into the rivers, Wahlang said in his presentation during the meeting he had shown the drone images of Wah Umkhrah right from the source up to Mawlai area and also Umshyrpi right from the source up to the Umshyrpi bridge and “over there we have seen concrete evidence of direct discharge into the rivers”.

He said that the first internal meeting on the matter was actually held on April 6, in which it was decided that the need to consult with all the other stakeholders and make it a bigger collective body towards addressing this problem.

“And since the last one week we have imposed hefty penalty. In fact anyone discharging directly into the rivers and anyone having faulty septic tanks and defective septic tanks if they don’t repair in 10-days’ time a fine will be imposed at the rate of Rs 500 per day not one time but Rs 500 per day till they seal the septic tank or they ensure the discharge does not make its way directly to the water bodies,” Wahlang informed.

“So a lot of decisions have been taken on April 6 meeting and also in today’s meeting in which I highlighted to all the headmen and environmental groups on what actions have been taken as it is time we all wake up as the situation is alarming and it is a collective effort only which will see us through,” he asserted.

Further, the chief secretary informed that NGT order had directed the need to ensure liquid waste is not discharged directly into the rivers.

“(In view of this), 32 areas have been identified – 20 along Umkhrah river and 12 along the Umshyrpi river – and they are known as the fall-off areas in which we need to setup STPs and five of them are under construction and the remaining we are looking for land. Wherever government land is available we will set up these STPs and if not, we have asked for the cooperation of the local dorbars to give us land to set up these STPs as per the direction of the NGT,” he said.

As far as the Umkhen river is concerned, Wahlang said, “Umkhen we have problem right from the source and we will be taking action as some mining activities is going on around that area. We have given about 45 days to take corrective actions as far as Umkhen is concerned.”

“As far as Umkhrah and Umshyrpi are concerned it will be a long drawn process because the problem is very severe in fact. All the localities have seen what is happening where and we have given video shots and we have given pictorial representation of garbage being dump into the river and sewage being dumped and discharged directly into the rivers,” he said.

Whether any timeline has been fixed to address the issues concerning these rivers, the chief secretary however said, “It will be a little time consuming, we have not fix a timeline but we will be setting up a core group as suggested by the chief minister to monitor whatever we have decided today so it is just not a talkshop but also action is taken on whatever we have discussed today.”

Asked if the role of the district council will also be taken into consideration, Wahlang said, “As far as solid and liquid waste management is concerned, in fact today we shared one very important order of the district council empowering the headmen to impose and levy fines on the citizens outside the municipal areas and with that the headmen are empowered and enabling provision is there in the law and I am sure that the headmen will make full use of the power that is given to them and defined within the law.”

With regards to protection of the catchment areas, the chief secretary said, “We also talked about plantation in today’s meeting but the immediate focus at hand in the meeting today was on the cleanliness aspects of the two rivers and Umkhen river the third one at the source. We didn’t go beyond the sources as far as Umkhen river is concerned but for the catchment areas yes plantation activities have been made and I am sure with the cooperation of all this will be fructify very soon.”

Meanwhile, the chief secretary informed that Rs 110 crore of money has already been ringfenced as far as NGT is concerned for the cleaning activities in and around Shillong town.

“A lot of activities being taken up within the municipal area for the Shillong Municipal Board, funding which will come from AMRUT 2.0 as well as Swachh Bharat Management (SBM Urban) and 15th Finance Commission will also pitched in. There is no amount that has been earmarked but funds will be avail because Rs 110 crore of money has already been ringfenced as far as NGT is concerned for the cleaning activities in and around Shillong town,” he added.

The All Meghalaya Fourth Teachers Association Garo Hills Unit (AM4thTA GHU) has expressed unhappiness due to the non-release of their three–month salary.

The association said that the 4th teachers are yet to receive their salary for January to March 2023 and are facing lots of problems with their daily wages even going to school.

The association in its memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Education Minister Rakkam Sangma and also to the DSEL officers too on March 17 had demanded regularization of 1521 fourth teachers services, equal salary at par with Adhoc Upper Primary School teachers and to ensure regular disbursement of salary to teachers respective accounts and 5 per cent annual increment for Meghalaya 4th Teachers.

“If the MDA 2.0 government neglects the teachers’ salary then how will the teachers go to school with an empty stomach and empty pockets as they are without salary for three months? Therefore, the association requested the chief minister and education minister to look into the matter and ensure speedy release of our 3-month salary,” the president of the association Tengrang K Sangma said.