Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma dismissed claims of secret land deals on August 25. He told the Assembly that the government sticks to rigid legal paths when buying land for public works. Every acre taken falls under the Meghalaya Transfer of Land Regulation Act, 1971.
The process kicks off when landowners show interest and name their price. Next, the government hunts for no-objection clearances from local authorities and headmen. The Deputy Commissioner holds public hearings to check for encumbrances and confirm that prices remain fair.
State Cabinet members make the final call on all acquisitions. They handled land for the Shillong airport expansion and the New Shillong Township this way. Sangma claims these projects aim to create opportunities for the state youth. He respects local customs too. "There has never been a situation where we have bulldozed in any way," Sangma said. He insists the government never uses backdoors for sales.
Updated at 26th August 2026 at 5:49pm
Beyond the Assembly floor, Sangma announced that the state will release Rs 93 crore in Umbrella Scholarship funds for 96,000 Scheduled Tribe students on August 27. This payout accounts for 40 per cent of the total scholarship purse. The state is currently lobbying the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs to secure the remaining 60 per cent of the funding.
Separately, the state government proposed a new Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence at the Shillong Technology Park Phase II. The project carries a Rs 20 crore price tag, with the state seeking 90 per cent of that funding from the central IndiaAI Mission. If approved, the 10,000-square-foot facility will focus on applying AI to agriculture, health, tourism, and creative sectors in partnership with Nasscom.
Infrastructure data released during the legislative session shows the state had 2,742 mobile towers operational as of August 1. Current figures place the state’s overall tele-density at 88.11 per cent, though rural access lags at 70.55 per cent compared to 155.01 per cent in urban areas.
Updated at 26th August 2026 at 9:50pm
On August 26, the Assembly cleared a resolution that bars uranium exploration and mining across the state. The move kills the proposed Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong-Mawthabah project in West Khasi Hills and directs the Centre and the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd to stay out. Sangma cited high landslide risks, heavy rainfall, and the threat to water catchments as primary reasons for the ban. He specifically pushed back against a September 8, 2025, federal memorandum that attempted to bypass public consultations for atomic mineral projects.
Sangma also launched a fact-finding committee to investigate claims surrounding a public hearing for a proposed Shree Cement plant. While he defended the need for outside investment to drive the economy, he admitted that the current hearing process drew heat for allowing participants from outside the project area. The committee aims to clear the air on whether the process followed the rules.
Updated at 27th August 2026 at 9:46am
Following an August 26 meeting with the Khasi Students' Union, Sangma ordered a complete stop to all work at the proposed Shree Cement site in East Jaintia Hills. A fact-finding committee, led by an official independent of the district administration, will now review the disputed July 31 public hearing and environmental impacts. Sangma stated that the site will remain idle until the report is finalized.
The meeting addressed a broader list of student grievances. On the recruitment front, Sangma confirmed the state has already scrapped interviews for Group-D posts and will phase out non-technical Group-C interviews starting January 2027. Regarding the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, he clarified the institute operates under federal control but promised to bridge a meeting between the KSU and the Union health minister.
The Chief Minister also addressed the administration's struggle to register tenants under the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act. He noted that manual registration across thousands of villages is hitting walls, prompting the government to develop a mobile app for face scanning and document uploads to speed up the process. He also clarified the purpose of the Umling facility, confirming the site is meant primarily for facilitation services rather than a food court, and announced plans to make it operational before Christmas.
Updated at 27th August 2026 at 9:54pm
The order to freeze work at the Daistong village plant follows a week of unrest in Shillong. Protesters held a black-flag motorcycle rally that turned violent, resulting in damaged vehicles and public property, plus a total breakdown of interstate transport services. That pressure forced the government to open a dialogue with the Khasi Students Union.
KSU leader Donald V. Thabah signaled that while they accept the government's current move, the union will ramp up its protests if the state pushes through with selling off tribal land. Sangma also clarified that the government still lacks land for its planned facilitation centers at Ratacherra and Athiabari, leaving those projects on hold for now.
Updated at 28th August 2026 at 5:46am
KSU leaders confirmed the suspension of their agitation is conditional. Former general secretary Donald V. Thabah noted the union is not satisfied until the government’s verbal commitments move into practice, keeping the threat of renewed protests on the table. The government delegation, which included Deputy Chief Ministers Prestone Tynsong and Sniawbhalang Dhar, agreed to specific terms for the Meghalaya Identification, Registration, Safety and Security of Migrant Workers Act. This includes a graded penalty system: Rs 10,000 for a first offense, Rs 30,000 for a second, and a Rs 1 lakh fine paired with three months in jail for the third.
Technical changes to registration are also underway. Police verification for workers can now occur via the Superintendent of Police in the worker's home district or the nationwide CCTNS network. While the state aims to implement these rules within a month, 19 of the 23 reforms suggested by the MPSC committee are active, with four still being chewed over by officials. The government is also looking for legal ways to reserve specific MPSC posts for state residents, though they acknowledge significant judicial hurdles.
Legal pressure on the union persists outside the negotiation room. The District Sessions Court in Shillong rejected the bail plea for KSU vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet on August 26, despite his legal team citing poor health. Sanmiet remains in custody alongside president Raymond Kharjana and general secretary Reuben Najiar, who were recently transferred back to the Shillong District Jail from Tura and Williamnagar.
Updated at 28th August 2026 at 9:47am
Eight KSU Central Executive Council members headed to Sadar Police Station on Thursday to answer summons linked to the August 19 bike rally. The police wanted communication records and lists of protesters involved in the event. Union leaders claimed they were barred from entering the station, though East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem pushed back, stating the group left before their scheduled 2 pm appointment. The union insists their notice lacked a specific time and they showed up in good faith to hand over requested documents.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Linguistic Minority Development Forum scheduled a silent gathering at the State Central Library for Friday afternoon. The event aims to push for unity following the vandalism of busts of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda. Organizers are steering clear of slogans or shouting, opting instead for a quiet demonstration to encourage public calm and safety.
Comments