Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has said that the UPA Government has given high priority to the development of North Eastern Region and during its tenure since 2004, 10 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) were established in the region. Speaking at the foundation stone laying function of NIT Meghalaya at Cherrapunjee (Sohra) in East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya today, Mr. Sibal said that the setting up of high quality institutions in the region would help the youth to materialize their potential and achieve higher levels of excellence. Mr. Sibal urged the NITs to address state specific problems, where they are located.

 Meghalaya Government recently unveiled four more districts, taking the tally to eleven in this hill state. Four new districts are: South West Khasi Hills, headquartered at Mawkyrwat; North Garo Hills, headquartered at Resubelpara; South West Garo Hills, headquartered at Ampati and East Jaintia Hills, headquartered at Khliehriat. In addition to that, name of Jaintia Hills has now been changed to East Jaintia Hills through a government notification, which is headquartered at Jowai. While inaugurating these districts, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said, creating more districts would bring administration closer to the people. He, however, urged people of the new districts to extend their full support to the government enabling it to fulfil their aspirations. Stating that there have been too many instances where the government has not been permitted to do its work, he urged the people not to waste time by resorting to agitations. In this regard, Dr. Sangma said, there has been remarkable change in the last two years which has enabled the government to perform its duties. Using a small family as an example of efficient management, the CM informed that the government has adopted this concept with regard to governance as well. Stressing on the fact that rapid and people centric development can only come about with small districts in place, Dr Sangma said, this is but the beginning of a long journey of development.

Pawan Hans helicopter services suspended for nearly 15 months after the death of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu in a crash resumed in Meghalaya today. Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma who returned from New Delhi, flew by Pawan Hans chopper from Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati to Shillong.

Speaking to the media after landing at Advanced Landing Ground in Upper Shillong, Sangma said that he is happy to mark of the resumption of Pawan Hans helicopter services in State. He said that according to technical and financial bid, all safety measures would be strictly followed and the state government will pay a Fixed Monthly Charge of 62 lakh 96 thousand ruppes and Hourly Flying Charges of over 63 thousand rupees only.

He informed that the air service would attract more tourists to the State. Speaking at the resumption of helicopter service, Meghalaya Transport Minister, Mr.A.T. Mondal informed that the State Government would set up a helicopter terminal in Shillong within two months. The CMD of Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited , Mr. Anil Srivastav said that helicopter service would also be extended to Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh very soon.

he National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has asked the Meghalaya government to stop child labour and conduct a survey to find the number of child labourers in the state. During a day long hearing camp in Shillong, the commission also asked the state government to take measures for schooling and rehabilitation of child labourers. The state authorities informed the NHRC that over two hundred child workers were identified in the Jaintia hills in the state. The NHRC has asked the authorities to give monetary compensation to the child labourers identified in the hills.

Parliament has passed a bill providing for setting up of separate High Courts in Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura.

The Rajya Sabha gave its approval by a voice vote to The North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2012. The Lok Sabha had earlier passed the Bill.

Replying to the discussion on this Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister P Chidambaram said the setting up of separate High Courts in the three states was a long standing demand of the people.

He said that the demand could not be fulfilled earlier as the buildings and the necessary infratructure for the setting up of separate High Courts in these states was not ready.

Meghalaya police and paramilitary forces staged a flag march in the capital city Shillong apprehending violence following a two-day road blockade from Tuesday night in four districts of the Khasi Jantia hills. Some NGOs and youth organizations have called the road blockade in protest against alleged enrolment of doubtful voters in the state. District Magistrate of East Khasi Hills District has imposed 144 Cr.PC in connection with night road blockade on today and tomorrow.

Despite recent Planning Commission report mentioning that the people living below poverty line has increased in Meghalaya, the state government is trying hard not only to arrest this slide but also make these families meet both ends by implementing MGNREGS more rigorously. AIR Shillong Correspondent reports that the recent

Planning Commission Report has come as setback for the Meghalaya government, which is trying hard fight hunger and poverty in the state. He says, to root out corruption in implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the state government recently introduced to pay workers through biometric smart cards, which is a first in the entire north-eastern region. The scheme, involving Axis Bank, has been launched on a pilot basis recently under the aegis of the Reserve Bank of India. State government has also performed better than national average in implementation of MGNREGA in giving ‘person days’ to every eligible household. The state provided an average of 57.73 'person-days' per household to 3.5 lakh households, which was higher than the national average of 42.04 'person-days' per household, an annual report for the year 2010-11 states. The report saw at least four districts with more than 95 per cent of their labour projection.