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SHILLONG ! SATURDAY ! MAY 23, 2015
VOL. XXVI NO. 137! RNI REGD. NO. 40948/90
Governor to do
away with
'His Excellency'
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, MAY 22: The
newly-appointed governor V Shanmuganathan,
in accordance with a directive from President
Pranab Mukherjee three
years ago, expressed his
desire not to be addressed as "His Excellency", a British-era salutation
still followed in the country decades after the British left the country.
"The governor desires
that during ceremonial
and other occasions in
the state where currently
the salutation 'His Excellency' is used for the Governor, the practice should
be to use the words
'Hon’ble Governor'," said
a communique issued by
the governor's office.
The salutation “His Excellency” shall, however,
continue to be used in interaction with foreign dignitaries, the statement
said.
In 2012, President
Mukherjee had made a
landmark review of the
protocol practices and
brought an end to the use
British-era salutation "His
Excellency" for the President and governors.
He also directed that the
word 'Hon'ble' will be used
before the title of 'President' or 'governor'.
British envoy
calls on
Rajnath Singh
NEW DELHI, MAY 22: British High Commissioner
to India James Bevan today called on Home Minister Rajnath Singh and
discussed with him various issues concerning
India and Britain. During
the 15-minute meeting,
the High Commissioner
also congratulated the
Home Minister on one
year completion of the
NDA government, sources said. Agencies
TODAY’S EDITORIAL
Tale of Ri-Bhoi
10
Notification will
9 remove
confusion,
Jaitley thinks
it's now time
for rate cut
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Critical NASA
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Online edition: http://mg.glpublications.in
Total Pages: 12 Rs. 5.00
" ‘State situation volatile since HC order against headmen’
NGT ban based on ‘half truth’: MIPRL
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, MAY 22: The MIPRL
today sought immediate intervention of the governor V Shanmuganathan for de-notifying the
National Green Tribunal (NGT),
claiming that the NGT’s order
banning coal mining in the state
is “based on half truth”. The MIPRL also expressed its resentment over delay by the state government in clearing district council Bills.
A delegation of the Movement
of Indigenous People’s Rights
and Livelihood (MIPRL) handed
over a memorandum highlighting the various issues confronting the state to the governor at
the Raj Bhavan on Friday.
“We request your intervention
to obtain Government of India
notification to remove the jurisdiction of the NGT from Meghalaya as the ban on coal and
sand mining had had serious
implication on the economy of
the state,” MIPRL chairman Herald Son Dkhar said in the letter.
He said that the unilateral ban
has severely and adversely affected lakhs of people of the
state who earn their livelihood
Members of an MIPRL delegation during their meeting with Governor V Shanmuganathan at Raj
Bhavan in the city on Friday. Guardian photo
from coal mining and sand min17 last year.
like Meghalaya, resulting in a
ing.
“Apart from this, the revenue
loss of Rs 600 crore in revenues
While the ban on sand mining
generation of Government of
to the government,” Dkhar said.
was effected from October 2013,
Meghalaya has been severely
According to him, however
the NGT imposed ban on coal
curtailed which is a serious sitPara 12 A (b) provides that no
mining in Meghalaya since April
uation for a revenue poor state
law of Parliament shall be ap-
KHNAM burns Mukul effigy
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, MAY 22: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) today burnt the effigy of chief minister Mukul Sangma
to protest the government delay in
giving its approval to the KHAD (Village Administration) Bill, 2014.
The effigy was burnt right in front
of the venue where former KHADC
CEM Adelbert Nongrum and a youth
supporter Goldy Warjri have been
staging an "indefinite hunger
strike", at Barik Point here on Friday.
Before burning the effigy, Pyndapbor Saibon, president of the KHNAM, said, “The burning of the effigy is to show our protest and condemnation against the state government’s adamant attitude on the
Bill, pending for the past ten
months.”
While Nongrum's hunger strike
entered seventh day today, KHNAM
members have also been staging
a sit-in demonstration to express
solidarity with him for the past two
days.
(Contd. on P-10)
Village Admin Bill
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, MAY 22: In yet another
alleged job scam in the state’s education department, ‘favoritism’ has
become the order of the day when it
comes to recruitment of teachers in
government schools, RTI findings
revealed.
There were two separate RTIs filed
earlier this year which one was by a
Dorbar Shnong of Mynkrem village
and the other by Patrikstone Daw,
an educated unemployed youth
from Nongjngi village in West Jaintia Hills District.
The RTIs had sought information
about the appointment of teachers
in the two schools – Mynkrem Gov-
ernment Lower Primary School and
Nongjngi Khliehshnong Government LP School by the office of the
Sub-Divisional School Education
Officer (SDSEO) Jowai and Directorate of School Education and Literacy (DSEL).
Further, the applicants were forced
to seek information through RTI Act,
2005 after there were alleged ‘practice of favoritism’ by the authorities
concerned who at the behest of politicians’ recommendation are recruiting teachers depriving deserving and qualified candidates of their
rights.
Addressing newsmen here on Friday, Mynkrem village secretary Hes-
perly Khyriem said, “The DI of School
Jowai has failed to conduct job recruitment based on merit to a vacant post of Asst LP teacher in Mynkrem Gov’t LP School.”
The post was lying vacant since
2012 after teachers appointed were
transferred of and on.
“The RTI reveals that the candidate
recommended by the SDSEO to the
DSEL for the post on March this year,
is however found to be less qualified from among the other candidates who applied for the same
post,” Khyriem said while alleging
that recruitment was based on political recommendation.
(Contd. on P-10)
HNLC threatens to
call 48-hr bandh
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
KHNAM members burn an effigy of chief minister Mukul Sangma in protest against the state government's delay in passing the KHAD (Village
Administration) Bill, 2014, in the city on Friday. Guardian photo
RTI detects 'anomalies' in
teacher appointment
plied to the state of Meghalaya
except with such modifications
or exemptions as may be
deemed necessary to protect
and preserve our unique tribal
systems, customs and traditions.
Quoting the order of the NGT
on March 25, this year which
states-‘that it is not impressed
by the state government’s decision to seek exemption under
Para 12 A (B)’, Dkhar said,
“These are dangerous trends
which are giving birth to a serious sense of alienation and
discrimination which may have
serious consequences.”
While appreciating the NGT’s
concern about the environment,
he said there is no basis for the
assumptions made by the NGT
about the extent of environmental and health degradation adding, “Using Mr Modi’s, the
Prime Minister, analogy, these
observations by the NGT are
‘perception driven’ and not
based on whole facts but half
truths.” Further, the MIPRL has
also apprised the governor of
the current situation arising out
of the delay (Contd. on P-10)
SHILLONG, MAY 22: The
proscribed Hynniewtrep
National Liberation Council (HNLC) today threatened to call for a 48-hour
‘total shutdown’ next week
to protest the government's "failure" to bring
out an acceptable solution to the crisis arising out
of a high court order on
"powers" of traditional
chiefs.
“In view of all the harassment caused to our Rangbah Shnongs and public
by the government, the
outfit shall declare a 48hour shutdown from 6 pm
of May 26 in the entire
Khasi-Jaintia Hills if the
government failed to come
up with a solution by May
25,” HNLC publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said in a statement
issued here on Friday.
Tension along border over
kidnapping of traders
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
After the incident, the kidnappers
stayed in constant with the family members and demanded Rs 5 lakh each for
their release, sources said, adding that
the “deal” was finally fixed at Rs 2 lakh,
sources said.
The money was paid to the gang on
May 18, sources said adding, since then
the families failed to contact the kidnappers.
All along, the families did not file any
FIR after being threatened by the kidnappers not to do so. As the victims are yet
to be released there have been apprehensions that they might have been killed
already. (Contd. on P-10)
MTDF plans Autumn Festival 'with a difference'
GUARDIAN NEWS BUREAU
SHILLONG, MAY 22: The Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF) is gearing up to hold the Autumn Festival 2015,
tentatively in the first week of November.
Moving away from the usual festival that
has been held throughout the years,
MTDF will devise a different format to
cater to the desire of the genuine tourists, while the usual entertainment for
local residents may be held with more
vigilance to avoid serious public inconveniences.
In this regard, research work is being
formulated to associate with professional team and ensure a meaningful endeavour to promote Tourism in the State.
Government departments concerned
along with the apex body under the Meghalaya Village Development and Promotion Tourism Cooperative Society
(MVDPTCS) has approached MTDF for
partnership in certain aspects of cultural, rural, adventure and eco-tourism.
Therefore, apart from the Autumn Festival, MTDF had facilitated to guide the
cooperative societies working in various
tourism sectors.
According to the outfit,
the state of affairs at the
moment is all the "fruits
of a failed Congress government and its inability to
come out with solutions".
“It is a government which
is specialised in manufacturing problems rather
than solving them,” Nongtraw said.
The HNLC also extended its full support to the
Synjuk Ki Rangbah
Shnong, Shnong Syiems,
Dolloi and the pressure
groups who are raising
their concerns for the approval of the village administration Bill by the
governor at the earliest.
It also urged all the
Rangbah Shnongs, Syiems pressure groups of
the Hynñiewtrep to come
out and support former
KHADC chief
(Contd. on P-10)
" Traders not released even after ‘paying ransom of Rs 4 lakh’
TURA, MAY 22: Tension ran high around
the Assam – Meghalaya border kidnapping of after two traders about a week
ago even as the respective families have
allegedly paid the ransom money but yet
to secure their release.
Akidul Islam (19) and Humayun hailing
from College Nagar area of Mancachar
in Dhubri district were kidnapped on May
15 while they were returning from Tura.
The armed group stopped the victims’
vehicle at Ghoramara under Garobadha
police station in West Garo Hills district
around 7 pm and took them away at gunpoint.
The MVDPTCS has already set up tourism infrastructure at eight villages of
Kongthong, Mawphanlur, Mawlongbna,
Umden, Nonglang, Mawsmai and two
developing tourist destination villages in
War Jaintia, which are expected to function soon.
The general meeting of the MTDF held
recently has elected it's new office bearers to undertake fresh assignments in
tourism sector.
The Vice Chancellor Martin Luther
Christian University and former Chairman R G Lyngdoh retained his top posi-
tion in the Forum; Kishen Tibrewalla of
Hotel Polo Towers was elected vice-president, Ian Khongmen of Imagenation as
secretary, Kunal Mordani of VLCC as joint
secretary, Keith Wahlang of Springboard
Surprises as finance secretary, William
Diengdoh of Meattreat as treasurer,
Raphael Warjri of Riti Academy of Visual
Arts as publicity secretary, while Lionel
Nongkhlaw of Sanshnong Tourism Society as the executive secretary. Some of
the main and founding members of the
Forum like Larsing Ming, DD Laloo, Sonny L Khyriem, (Contd. on P-10)
Solo travellers:
Research before
packing your bag
Jaitley
disapproves
Naqvi’s beef
remark
NEW DELHI, MAY 22: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today disapproved of
his ministerial colleague
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi's remark that those who cannot live without eating
beef should go to Pakistan
or any other country, saying people should be
aware of their responsibilities.
Jaitley, one of the senior
ministers in the Narendra
Modi Cabinet, however,
insisted that such comments would have no impact on the government or
its policies.
Asked about Naqvi's remarks at a press conference held to highlight
achievements of the Modi
government in its first year,
Jaitley said, "It is natural
that people should realise
their responsibilities. The
Prime Minister has also
said so time and again."
He also took a dig at
news channels for playing
up such remarks, saying,
"It is a different thing that
these comments have
their own attraction in your
channels".
Naqvi, Union Minister of
State for Minority Affairs,
had sparked a controversy yesterday by saying that
"If a certain section (of
people) is dying because
they can't sell or eat beef
then this is not the country for them. Let them go
to Pakistan or an Arab nation, or any other part of
world where it is available."
The BJP-led government in Maharashtra has
banned slaughter of cow
and its progeny and made
sale and possession of
beef unlawful, providing for
imprisonment upto five
years and fine of Rs
10,000. The decision has
invited criticism from several sections.
A few ministers in the
past have trigerred controversies with their comments targeting a community or their political rivals,
inviting rebuke from
Narendra Modi and
BJP.Agencies
" COAL SCAM
Naveen Jindal,
Rao, Koda & 7
others get bail
NEW DELHI, MAY 22:Congress leader and industrialist Naveen Jindal,
former Jharkhand Chief
Minister Madhu Koda, ex Minister of State for Coal
Dasari Narayan Rao and
seven others were today
granted bail by a special
court which asked them
not to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.
The court granted them
the relief after they appeared before it and
sought bail on the ground
that they have joined the
(Contd. on P-10)
Sanjay urges Centre not
to issue passport to Geelani
GUWAHATI, MAY 22: Amidst the controversy surrounding the issuance of passport to hardline Hurriyat leader
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, AICC spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam today urged the Centre to desist from such a
move. "If activities of Geelani and other Hurriyat leaders' are anti-India, then the central government should
take a decision to stop issuing passport to Geelani,"
he told reporters here.
The issuance of passport to Geelani has kicked off a
controversy in Kashmir with PDP and BJP, the coalition
partners in the state, having diametrically opposite
views on it. While PDP said Geelani should be given
passport on "humanitarian" (Contd. on P-10)