2
Nasim Zaidi
appointed
next CEC
NEW DELHI, APR 9:
Election Commissioner
Nasim Zaidi was today
appointed as the next
Chief Election Commissioner.
President
Pranab
Mukherjee has cleared his
appointment, a Law Ministry statement said.
He will assume charge
with effect from April 19,
after the incumbent Hari
Shankar Brahma demits
office on April 18 upon his
retirement.
Zaidi will have a tenure
up to July, 2017 when he
attains the age of 65.
In appointing Zaidi as the
CEC, government has carried on with the convention
of elevating the seniormost EC.
Incidentally, he will be the
only one left in the threemember constitutional
body as the others have
retired. The government
will also soon set in motion
the process of appointing
two Election Commissioners to fill up the vacancies
in the three-member poll
body.
Government is yet to appoint an EC after V S
Sampath retired as CEC in
January and Brahma was
elevated in his place.
An EC or a CEC has a
tenure of six years in office or 65 years of age,
whichever is earlier.
A 1976 batch IAS officer,
Zaidi has worked in the
Civil Aviation Ministry for a
long time. Agencies
GNLA men
escape raid
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
TURA, APR 9: West Garo
Hills police and Garo National Liberation Army
(GNLA) militants today exchanged fire near Amingokgre under Dadenggre
police station.
Police sources said
around six GNLA militants
were taking shelter in one
of the houses in the village, about 35 kms from
here.
They started firing after
seeing a police team approaching the village, resulting in retaliation from
police as well, police said.
However, police had to
restrain their counter attack due to presence of
villagers, resulting in escape of the militants.
A 9 mm pistol, 2 magazines, 29 live rounds of
7.65 mm and GNLA demand pads were among
the things found in the
spot.
Man kills
brother
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, APR 9: One
Sotarious Marwein (29)
absconded from his village
after
he
allegedly
murdered his younger
brother.
The incident took place
at Umwahlang village in
West Khasi Hills district on
Wednesday night, police
said. (Contd. on P-3)
SHILLONG ! FRIDAY ! APRIL 10, 2015
Yesterday’s Recording
Temperature
Humidity
Max 23.6 C Morning 62%
Min 14.5 C
Evening 59%
Rainfall
Nil
on Aussie
firepower against..
Online edition: http://mg.glpublications.in
Total Pages: 12
Rs. 5.00
‘Allegations Villagers on ‘indefinite fast’ for chief
against Sordar " 400 people storm into KHADC demanding Sorder’s reinstatement
very serious’
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, APR 9: The
KHADC executive member in-charge Elaka KP
Pangniang questioned the
‘urgency’ behind the attitude of the agitating residents of Tynring village
despite an inquiry has
been instituted to probe
into the serious allegations
against the Sordar.
“I wonder what was the
urgency behind the agitation by the residents of
Tynring and I fear that they
are being misled by somebody,” Pangniang told reporters here.
He also wondered as to
why don’t they (residents)
have some patience and
allow the inquiry to be conducted and come up with
a clear judgement on the
matter, instead of staging
a protest directly seeking
withdrawal of the suspension order.
“They should not rush
into conclusion like this,”
Pangniang said while
pointing out that the case
has been pending before
the district council for
years now.
Villagers of Tynring numbering around 400 today
forcibly entered the district
council premises and
launched an “indefinite
hunger strike” to demand
the immediate cancellation of the suspension order against their Sordar.
Sordar of Tynring CA Diengdoh was suspended
by the KHADC on March
26, after receiving complaints from the Seng
Longkmie accusing him of
attempting to sell a community land measuring up
to 1,000 acres to the
MUDA besides indulging
in corruption practices.
Informing that an inquiry
has been instituted on this,
Pangniang said, “This inquiry is being headed by
me and Executive Member in charge Land Morningstar Mawsor.”
(Contd. on P-3)
SHILLONG, APR 9: Residents of Tynring village
under Mawrynkneng block
in East Khasi Hills district
today launched an “indefinite” hunger strike in the
KHADC demanding an
immediate cancellation of
the recent suspension order issued against their
village Sordar.
Over 400 Tynring villagers coming in around six
buses and other light vehicles marched into the
Khasi Hills Autonomous
District Council (KHADC)
premises, after security
personnel and KHADC officials failed to prevent
them by locking the entrance gate.
The protest came in the
wake of KHADC’s failure
to decide on the matter
pertaining to suspension
order of the Sordar within
a stipulated time.
Earlier last month, a similar protest was also
staged by the residents in
which the KHADC secretary has sought time till
April 5, to come out clear
on the matter.
The Sordar of Tynring CA
Diengdoh was put under
Miner owners from South Garo Hills file contempt of court plea
NGT okays coal transport,
against state order
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
TURA, APR 9: Providing relief to the coal
mine owners of Meghalaya, the National
Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the state
government to immediately allow for the
transportation of coal on payment of royalty, following a contempt of court petition filed on behalf of the mine owners of
South Garo Hills yesterday.
The NGT, while hearing a petition filed
by mine owners who had paid the royalty
on coal quite some time ago on assurance of allowing transportation, directed
the government to immediately allow
transportation of coal.
The NGT had ruled earlier for transportation to be allowed for a period of 7
weeks or until the 31st of May, whichever
came earlier.
The state government however differed
and asked for all royalty payments to be
made along with the Rs 485 environmental fund by the 18th before transportation
would be allowed from the 19th of April,
providing only 6 weeks.
Quashing the order of the state, the tribunal asked for transportation to be allowed immediately.
“We had filed the contempt case which
was later turned in a directive to the state,
asking them to allow for immediate transportation of coal. The direction of the NGT
is now set to benefit the whole state
though it was only the South Garo Hills
miners who had fought against the state
order,” said advocate Saurabh Sharma
from Delhi.
(Contd. on P-3)
Locals take over ‘illegal’
trades of non-tribals
" KHADC closes down 102 ‘illegal’ businesses in six months
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, APR 9: KHADC’s Trade
department has closed down several
illegal business establishments and
cancelled trading license of over 200 nonindigenous traders even as locals have
started taking up businesses.
The closures and cancellation of illegal
shops and trading licenses was taken up
by the enforcement wing of the KHADC
during a six-month continuous routine
checking drives in the different districts
of Khasi Hills region.
The drives were also taken up to ensure
that non-indigenous traders do not
operate illegal business within the
jurisdiction of the Council and that they
abide by the provisions (Contd. on P-3)
suspension from March 16
by the KHADC acting on a
complaint filed by the
Seng Longkmie of the village accusing him of trying to sell over 1,000 acres
community land to MUDA.
The officials allowed the
villagers enter the KHADC
premises, after the agitating villagers holding placards said they had every
right to stage protest in a
peaceful manner.
“We have decided to go
ahead with the indefinite
hunger strike till the
KHADC agreed to withdraw the suspension order
against our Sordar,” executive member of the Dorbar Shnong of Tynring
Damehi Warpakyntein told
reporters here.
Warpakyntein
also
claimed that the KHADC
has suspended the Sordar without any reason.
“Earlier we had agreed to
withdraw our agitation after the KHADC secretary
assured us to take a final
call on the matter on April
5, which they however
failed.
“But when we came to
meet the Executive Member in charge Elaka KP
‘HC ruling
misinterpreted
by headmen’
Residents of Tynring village taking out a protest march and forcibly entering the
KHADC premises demanding immediate cancellation of the suspension order
against the village Sordar, in the city, on Thursday. Guardian Photo
Pangniang yesterday, he
instead told us that the
matter would be inquired
by the district council,”
Warpakyntein said.
What has irked the vil-
lagers is the council’s failure to make clear as to
what is the pending inquiry.
Terming the KHADC action illegal, Warpakyntein
SC notice to State Govt
on Champion plea
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, APR 9:
Traditional heads in many
parts of Khasi Hills region
have stopped issuing no
objection certificates
(NOCs) to “needy” people
following the High Court
order against such
practice, the KHADC said.
“Many traditional heads
have refrained from
issuing NOC for applying
fresh and renewal trading
license from the KHADC in
view of the Meghalaya
High Court ruling issued
on December 10, 2014,”
KHADC EM in charge
Trade
Latiplang
Kharkongor told reporters
here.
Expressing concern over
the order, he said this has
to a great extent affected
people who required the
NOC to be issued by these
traditional heads for
applying the fresh and
renewal license from the
district council.
He asserted that the the
headmen are empowered
by the Trading by NonTribal Regulation Act.
Stating that it’s just
misinterpretation of the
Court’s ruling, he said, “As
per the ruling of the High
Court it has clearly
(Contd. on P-3)...
said, “The District Council
has given a direct order to
suspend the Sordar without issuing any showcause notice to him.”
(Contd. on P-3)
GHSMC rally on Apr 13
Cry for
Garoland,
again
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
Arrested GNLA Chief Champion R Sangma coming
out from the court after he was produced here in the
city on Thursday. (TM)
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, APR 9: The Supreme Court has issued a
notice to the Meghalaya government following a special
leave petition filed by the chairman of the Garo National
Liberation Army (GNLA) Champion R Sangma.
The order was issued by the Supreme Court during a
hearing held on March 16. Sangma’s counsel Sujit Dey
had also appeared before the apex court during the
hearing.
The court of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice
SA Bobde issued the notice to the state government and
has listed the next hearing for the case on April 17,
sources said here.
The jailed militant leader has filed the special leave
petition before the Supreme Court challenging the
Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act (MPDA) order
issued by East Garo Hills (Contd. on P-3)
TURA, APR 9: After a long
silence, the demand for
Garoland is set to rend the
air of Garo Hills once
again.
The Garo Hills State
Movement Committee
(GHSMC) will hold a rally
at Chokpot in South Garo
Hills district on April 13 to
raise “awareness” about
the “need” for a separate
Garo state.
The day incidentally is
also the 68th birth anniversary of late Clifford R Marak, MLA from Chokpot who
led the movement from the
front. The GHSMC will
also hold a memorial service for the leader at 5 pm
the same day.
While main demand of
most of the militant outfits
in Garo Hills has been
Garoland till they got neutralised or disbanded,
most political leaders and
parties also lend open or
silent support to the demand, apparently to cater
to the public sentiment.
Remembering the late
leader Clifford Marak, GHSMC chairman Nikman
Marak said, “Clifford’s
dream of a Garoland state
is (Contd. on P-3)...
China talks of ‘huge dispute over Arunachal Pradesh’
TODAY’S EDITORIAL
Inferior Beings
CITY WEATHER
Saudi-led
airstrikes in Yemen
township for Pandits
VOL. XXVI NO. 96 ! RNI REGD. NO. 40948/90
11 Rajasthan bank
10 Iran prez slams
PDP, BJP in two
9 minds
on separate
Modi for
empowerment
to small businesses
Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Hu Chunying
BEIJING, APR 9: China today
said its “huge dispute” with India over Arunachal Pradesh is
an “undeniable fact” even as it
echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s views that the two
countries should create favourable conditions for a mutuallyacceptable settlement of the
vexed boundary issue.
“There is a huge dispute in the
eastern border of China-India
border. This is undeniable fact,”
Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Hu Chunying
told media here when asked
about Indian Government extending controversial Armed
Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Arunachal Pradesh.
“China always holds consistent and clear position on the
China-India boundary question.
The two sides should make joint
efforts to maintain peace tranquillity of the border area and
create favourable conditions for
the negotiation of the boundary
question,” she said. Arunachal
Pradesh shares a 1,126 km
border with China and 520 km
border with Myanmar. China
claims Arunachal Pradesh as
part of southern Tibet.
China calling the border issue
a “huge dispute” and “undeniable fact” is seen as an attempt
by Beijing to flag its stand on
Arunachal Pradesh ahead of
Modi’s expected visit to China
next month. Her comments
came as the top defence officials of the two countries are
meeting here ahead of the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD)
scheduled for tomorrow.
Hua sounded positive while
reacting to Modi’s remarks on
the border issue made in an
interview to an Indian newspaper and endorsed his views that
maintaining peace at the border is important in order to create conditions to arrive at a
mutually-acceptable solution.
“We have taken note of remarks made by Prime Minister
Modi. China has always taken
a positive attitude on the China-India boundary question,”
she said.
“Last September while visiting
India, President Xi Jinping said
publicly that China is confident
to resolve the boundary question together with the Indian
side though friendly negotiations and maintaining peace
and tranquillity of the border
area,” she said. “It is a common
responsibility of common aspiration of the India and China to
resolve the boundary question.
We have made enormous efforts to this end,” she said, highlighting 18 rounds of Special
Representatives talks to “exchange views”.
“Progress has been made in
this regard. We are willing to
work with India to press ahead
with the negotiations process to
reach a comprehensive and
reasonable solution that is acceptable to both the parties,”
she said. Showing its sensitivity on Arunachal Pradesh, China had recently strongly protested to India over Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the border
state.
China says the border dispute
is confined only to 2,000 kms
mostly in Arunachal Pradesh
whereas India asserts that the
dispute covered the western
side of the border spanning to
about 4,000 kms, especially the
Aksai Chin area annexed by
China in 1962 war.
Agencies