Economy / Meghalaya

TURA, May 30?Financial institutions such as the State Bank of India (SBI) are slowly closing their branches in the interior areas of Garo Hills because of continuous militant threats for failing to pay up to the ultras, State Bank of India, which has the largest network of banking services in the Garo Hills extending way into the interior areas, has already closed down its third branch in the region. The SBI has a total of 44 branches in the entire Garo Hills though 24 are loss making in terms of profit making for the institution.

The first branch to be closed down due to militant threats was...

SHILLONG, May 15 ? The Meghalaya Police in its operation against the banned militant organiations has decided to move against those controlling their financial affairs rather than those carrying out the actual operations, reports PTI. ?We have been successful with capturing people from the armed wings of the outfits like Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) earlier and seized huge arms and ammunition. But not much impact could be made as we did not identify their sources of funding,? the superintendent of police, East Khasi Hills district, I Nongrang, told reporters Wednesday.

Earli...

TURA, April 16 – The Meghalaya Chief Minister, DD Lapang, has taken the initiative to end militancy in the Garo Hills by bringing with a him his government’s economic package to give relief to the militancy affected people of Garo Hills. Lapang made his maiden visit as Chief Minister to visit Tura and Williamnagar on April 14 and 15 where he unveiled a massive economic package for the three districts of Garo Hills. He also reminded the people that peace would be a pre-requisite for the successful implementation of the economic package. The highlight of his package is the laying of foundation...

New Delhi, April 5: The Meghalaya government has begun preparing a policy to turn the state into a favoured tourist destination and to open up new avenues for employment and income-generation.

Meghalaya tourism minister and former chief minister, F.A. Khonglam, said the policy was necessitated by the “lack of response” in the sector “despite the state’s tremendous potential”.

“It is surprising that the previous governments did not think of formulating a policy that would clearly spell out the thrust areas in this sector. Now that the exercise has begun, we expect it to be completed before...

SHILLONG, March 28 — Meghalaya Finance Minister Dr Donkupar Roy today presented a Rs 25.22 crore deficit budget for the year 2003-2004 but announced additional resource mobilisation measures to reduce the gap to the tune of Rs 5 crore only.

Presenting the first budget of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance Government in the State, Dr Roy hoped “it would bring in a ‘positive chance’ in the fiscal scenario in the State.” The budget estimates envisage an opening deficit of Rs 18.95 crore and a total receipt of Rs 14,428.04 crore against an expenditure of Rs 14,434.31 crore resulting in a projected...

SHILLONG, March 19 — All export operations to Bangladesh from Assam and Meghalaya have been suspended from March 17 in the wake of the abduction of a customs officer and six exporters by suspected NDFB and PFLM militants on February 28 last from Ghasuapara in South Garo Hills.

Commissioner of Customs DD Ingty told newsmen in the evening that the decision of suspend operations will affect the lucrative Rs 200 crore annual export from Meghalaya alone.

“We have informed the Meghalaya Government that the customs authorities have been constrained to suspend the exports from the land customs...

Shillong, Jan. 30: Meghalaya chief minister F.A. Khonglam, who is yet to extricate himself from the online lottery and CGI sheets controversies, is now facing the allegation of sitting over official papers resulting in the loss of Rs 100-crore ?incentive fund? provided by the Centre.

Sources said the Khonglam-led state government had lost out on the Rs 100-crore ?incentive fund? as it had ?goofed up? the mandatory memorandum of understanding which it had to sign. The MoU is signed between the state government and the Centre, following which the money is released to the state.

The matter was...

SHILLONG, Dec 30 — What is a gain for Meghalaya, is a loss for Assam. The Union Government on December 20 rescinded its earlier order shifting the Commissioner of Central Excise Office from Shillong to Guwahati. BJP State president Dr W Kharshiing, told newsmen here yesterday the Union Government in a new order issued on December 20 has notified that the Central Excise office would remain in Shillong. The Centre had earlier ordered the shifting of the Central Excise office to Guwahati following an appeal by the MPs from Assam on the ground that the State was responsible for 90 per cent of the...

TURA, Dec 26 — Coal export from Garo Hills to Bangladesh which was supposed to take off from early October is likely to begin any day now. The export of coal from Gasuapara coal export point in South Garo Hills was hampered due to threats by militants of the banned ANVC who wanted a cut. The militants are believed to have demanded 25 lakh rupees as ‘tax’ for the export which is alleged to have been paid by the coal dealers’ association of Gasuapara. Peoples Liberation Front (PLF), another militant group, has also demanded over one crore from the exporters as ‘tax’ Coal from Nangalbibra is...

SHILLONG, May 1 ? Matrilineal Meghalaya has all along been showing the predominance of women in various economic activities besides their occupying a position of pride in the family and society. And now the Census of India-paper 3 released here yesterday has established that there are more female cultivators in the State than males. The Paper 3 revealed that female cultivators comprise 51.88 per cent of the total cultivators in the State compared to 44.89 per cent males. Though agriculture is the main economic activity in Meghalaya, only 47.80 per cent of the workers are cultivators. However...