REGIONAL

SHILLONG  (PTI) : Meghalaya government has intensified efforts to contain the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) and imposed restrictions on pig transportation and trade in affected districts, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Wednesday. Sangma said the outbreak was being closely monitored and immediate measures had been put in place to prevent the disease from spreading further. “This has been a problem in the past also. We are monitoring the situation and taking immediate action. The department is taking measures to ensure that ASF doesn’t spread on a large scale,” he told reporters. According to officials, confirmed cases have been detected in Pynursla and Mawlai blocks of East Khasi Hills district, Mawthadraishan block of West Khasi Hills district, Umsning and Bhoirymbong blocks in Ri-Bhoi district, Mairang block of Eastern West Khasi Hills district, as well as at the Regional Pig Breeding Farm in Kyrdemkulai. The affected villages include Urksew Wahpathaw, Mawkajem, Mawlai Mawkynroh, Nongkasen, Kyrdemkulai, Lum Umpih, Mawkyrdep and Mawphanniew. Invoking provisions of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009, the animal husbandry and veterinary department has declared areas within a 1 km radius of infected premises as infected zones, while areas extending up to 10 km have been designated as surveillance zones. A complete ban has been imposed on the movement of live pigs, pig feed, pork and pork products into or out of affected areas. Pig markets, slaughterhouses and abattoirs in the affected zones have been ordered closed until further notice. Authorities have also prohibited swill feeding using kitchen or restaurant waste and barred the removal of infected or dead pigs and contaminated materials from designated zones. Officials said disposal of pig carcasses in rivers, lakes or other water bodies would attract penalties ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000, while repeat offenders could face imprisonment of up to three months. Carcasses are required to be disposed of through deep burial with lime cover as per veterinary guidelines. Farm owners have been directed to maintain strict biosecurity protocols, restrict visitor access and ensure proper cleaning and disinfection of vehicles operating in affected areas. Veterinary teams have intensified surveillance and sample collection to assess the extent of the outbreak, while the forest department has been asked to monitor wild boar populations in adjoining forest areas to prevent possible transmission between domestic and wild pig populations. The government has also appealed to village dorbars, dollois, nokmas, municipalities and other local bodies to cooperate with veterinary officials and rapid response teams engaged in containment efforts. Farmers in disease-free areas outside surveillance zones have been advised to confine their animals, prevent contact with wild boars and stray animals, maintain strict hygiene standards and immediately report any unusual illness or mortality to veterinary authorities, officials said. (Source: PTI)    

SHILLONG : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said the state is undertaking major reforms in the education sector to improve learning outcomes and quality of schools, as he reviewed its progress under the national Performance Grading Index (PGI) framework. Chairing a high-level meeting with officials of the education department, Sangma assessed the state’s PGI performance and reviewed initiatives to strengthen the education ecosystem, including investments in foundational learning, school infrastructure, vocational education, digital governance and student welfare. The 2022-23 PGI ranking put Meghalaya among the worst-performing states in the country “We have ensured that every child has access to a school. Our next goal is to ensure that every school delivers the highest quality of learning,” Sangma said. He said directions have been issued to the education department to put in place a focused strategy and stronger mechanisms to improve performance, learning outcomes, and build on our commitment for infrastructure improvements in schools in order to ensure the state achieves a better PGI ranking in the coming years. Officials informed the meeting that the state’s extensive network of nearly 14,600 schools reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring access to education even in remote areas, making it one of the most accessible schooling systems in the Northeast. The review highlighted that learning outcomes, which carry the highest weightage under the PGI framework, remain a key focus area. “The government is implementing several initiatives to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy, improve classroom teaching and provide greater support to students,” a senior education official said. The meeting also reviewed ongoing efforts to upgrade school infrastructure, including the establishment of science laboratories, ICT facilities, smart classrooms, libraries, kitchen gardens, rainwater harvesting systems, drinking water facilities and solar-powered infrastructure. Officials said vocational and skill-based education is being expanded through the community skill integrated curriculum, which introduces practical and skill-oriented learning to students from primary to secondary levels. The government is also strengthening student welfare measures, including improvements to the midday meal programme and the installation of sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators in girl schools. The meeting reviewed efforts to improve digital governance and educational data systems through better reporting, Aadhaar integration, digital compliance and institutional record management, aimed at ensuring educational progress is accurately reflected in national assessment frameworks. Officials also highlighted progress under the school rationalisation programme, under which 3,198 of the state’s 14,582 schools have already been merged or consolidated to optimise teacher deployment and improve resource utilisation. An official said Meghalaya’s PGI score largely reflects structural, administrative and data-reporting challenges and does not accurately represent the talent and potential of the state’s children. The chief minister directed the department to continue adopting a scientific and data-driven approach to improving educational performance through regular assessments, evidence-based interventions and stronger coordination between schools, districts and the state government, officials said. (Source: PTI)        

GUWAHATI : A new species of marten has been found in Kaziranga National Park in Assam, the government said on Tuesday. In a social media post, the Chief Minister’s Office said the sighting of the yellow-throated marten in Kaziranga underscores the strength of Assam’s conservation model, where protected habitats continue to support remarkable biodiversity and wildlife resilience. “Under the leadership of HCM Dr. @himantabiswa (Himanta Biswa Sarma), Assam is creating conservation success stories that extend beyond protecting landscapes to nurturing thriving ecosystems,” it said. The Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve is the largest in the Northeast and is thronged by domestic and international tourists in large numbers for its famed one-horned rhinoceros. Tourist footfall to the forest rose by over 15 per cent in 2025-26 to 4.68 lakh, of which foreign tourist arrivals increased from 17,693 to 30,474 in a year. The Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was declared a national park in 1974. It is inhabited by the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos as well as many mammals, including tigers, elephants, panthers and bears, and thousands of birds. The park is located in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam. It is also located beside the Brahmaputra river on the north and the Karbi Anglong Mountains on the south. (Source: PTI)    

IMPHAL : Three militants were arrested on charges of extortion in Manipur, police said on Tuesday. Two cadres of the proscribed Peoples’ Liberation Army were arrested from Imphal East district on Monday, they said. The suspects were identified as Maibam Arun Singh (49) and Thangjam Surankumar Singh (30), they added. A member of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup was arrested from an office complex in Imphal West district. He was identified as Bramacharimayum Sana Sharma alias Ibungo alias Manisana (38), police said. These militants used to threaten locals and small businesses, demanding money, they said. (Source: PTI)    

AGARTALA : Six forest personnel, including a range officer, were injured as suspected timber smugglers attacked them in a remote area of North Tripura, officials said on Tuesday. Two vehicles of the Forest Department were extensively damaged in the attack that happened in the Kanchapur police station area on Monday night, they said. Acting on a tip-off, a team of the department tried to intercept a timber-laden vehicle near Chandipur around 11 pm. As the driver did not stop the vehicle, the forest personnel chased it on a jeep, they said. “A few kilometres away, the driver fled, abandoning the timber-laden vehicle. But shortly after, a group of about 50 smugglers returned with dao and sticks, and attacked the forest personnel. To save their lives, the personnel took shelter in the dense forest,” said Sub Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO) Suman Mitra. “Six personnel, including a ranger officer, were injured in the attack and two departmental vehicles were vandalised,” he said. A case has been lodged in connection with the attack, Mitra said, adding that no arrest has been made so far. (Source: PTI)        

GUWAHATI : The Assam government on Monday announced a two-month suspension of the distribution of subsidised pulses, sugar and salt under the public distribution system due to the continuation of the vote-on-account budget following the recent assembly elections. In an advertisement published in newspapers, the food, public distribution and consumer affairs department said supplying the three food items, which were being given to eligible people at subsidised prices, has been stopped for two months with effect from June. The department said the state is currently operating under a vote-on-account budget and the full budget for 2026-27 will be presented by the new government in July. “The new government will present a full budget in July, and after its passage, the scheme will restart from August,” it added. However, distribution of monthly free rice will continue uninterrupted during this period. The government said if some shops have leftover Masoor dal, sugar and salt after distribution in May, those will be given to poor families this month. Presenting the interim budget in February ahead of the assembly elections, then Finance Minister Ajanta Neog had sought a vote-on-account of Rs 62,294.78 crore to enable the government to meet expenditure on essential services pending the presentation of the full budget. She had said securing the basic right to food, the government covered 70.71 lakh families and provided free rice to over 2.49 crore citizens under the NFSA and PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. (Source: PTI)    

NALBARI : In a case of unrequited love, a local All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leader was killed and his cousin sister critically injured in a machete attack by a teenager, who was later gunned down by police while trying to escape after his arrest in Nalbari district of Assam, officials said on Monday. The attack on the duo took place in Gangapur village near Jagara on Sunday evening when they were returning home from Nalbari town after purchasing some books, while the police action on the assailant happened at a ‘char’ (riverine island) in Mukalmua on Monday. The AASU leader, identified as Madhurjya Barman (19), suffered cuts on his head and neck in the machete attack, and he was immediately brought to Nalbari Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, a police officer said. He was an assistant secretary of Paschim Nalbari Aanchalik Satra Santha, a regional unit of the AASU. His cousin sister, who is a Class 11 student, has been seriously injured and is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, police said. “As per information, the accused, identified as Ashik Ali alias Roj Ali, stopped the AASU leader’s scooter 300 metres from the sister’s residence and attacked them with a machete,” the officer said. Nalbari SP Bibekananda Das said police received a tip-off about the presence of Ali at an interior ‘char’ in Mukalmua and a team rushed there to nab him. He had fled to the riverine island on Sunday night. “We apprehended him there. He led us to retrieve the murder weapon, but he suddenly snatched a self-loading rifle from a policeman and fired three rounds at the team and it hit our vehicles. In retaliation, the law enforcers fired at him and one bullet hit his chest,” he added. Although he was rushed to hospital, doctors pronounced him dead, police said. Another officer said the incident is a case of rejected love, with Ali proposing to the injured sister of the deceased sometime back. However, she rejected his proposal. “The attacker had proposed to her when she was studying in Class 9, and both are of the same age. Aggrieved at the rejection, Ali had threatened to kill her in front of her parents,” he added. When the girl’s parents wanted to lodge a police complaint, Ali’s family requested them not to do so and promised that he would never disturb her again. So, the police complaint was not filed. “However, Ali suddenly attacked her, but her brother tried to protect her and lost his life,” the officer said. AASU vice president Bhabajit Bezbaruah condemned the attack and demanded that the accused be brought to book immediately. The organisation took out a protest rally through the arterial roads of Nalbari town, raising slogans against the incident and demanding justice for the deceased. (Source: PTI)