Latest news with #PrestoneTynsong
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Meghalaya safe for tourists, continues to attract visitors'
Guwahati: Meghalaya is very safe for tourists who continue to visit the state regularly, deputy CM Prestone Tynsong said on Monday. He added that social media remarks depicting Meghalaya as a den of criminals, following the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, hurt the state's sentiments. Regarding the alleged weak mechanism in the state for handling tourist flow, the minister said the state has certain mechanisms which will be strengthened further. "Where there is a requirement for strengthening, that will be done for sure. In fact, the tourism department has given certain instructions relating to the registration of tourists," he added. The minister said the govt has already directed the owners of homestays and hotels to ensure proper registration of tourists. "In fact, we also have in place a tourism app through which they can send the documents to the police station concerned or may be to the SP," he added. Tynsong said the govt was deeply hurt to see remarks on social media referring to Meghalaya as a den of criminals. "I just personally take it that, okay, maybe out of emotion, out of desperation, maybe they could not control themselves, they made those remarks. But let me tell you one thing, Meghalaya is very safe," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Los jubilados nacidos antes del 1970 tienen derecho a estos nuevos aparatos acústicos Top Audifonos Undo He added that the Meghalaya Police force is one of the best in the country, and it has been proved. "Not only that, people would remember how we handled militancy 15-20 years back. We don't need any forces from the central govt," Tynsong said. Saying that tourists are still coming to the state on a daily basis, the minister said the successful operation by the state police will further encourage people to keep visiting the state. Last year, Meghalaya was named India's top travel destination in Skyscanner's Travel Trends Report, outperforming global hotspots like Baku and Azerbaijan. Shillong was the only Indian city to make it to the list. Meghalaya witnessed a remarkable year-on-year growth in tourist arrivals — from 10 lakh in 2022 to 14 lakh in 2023, which is a 38.9% increase, and further to 16.08 lakh in 2024, which is a 13.1% rise, reaffirming its rising appeal as a premier travel destination. CM Conrad K Sangma-led govt will now invest Rs 3,600 crore to develop tourism infrastructure, including the construction of high-end accommodations in popular tourist spots like Sohra and Umiam over the next two years.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Meghalaya orders crackdown on illegal B'deshis & Rohingya
Shillong: Meghalaya govt has directed all district administrations to identify and arrest illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants on a priority basis. The directive follows the Union ministry of home affairs' (MHA) recent order instructing all states and union territories to form special task forces in every district to detect and deport illegal migrants within 30 days. Deputy CM Prestone Tynsong confirmed that district task forces (DTFs), established under the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016, are already operational. He emphasised that strict enforcement of the Foreigners' Act is underway, with deputy commissioners instructed to act immediately on any credible intelligence regarding illegal immigrants. "As far as illegal foreigners are concerned, we have already directed all DCs to crackdown and put this on priority basis. The (Foreigners') Act is being followed strictly," he said. Meghalaya shares a 443-km international border with Bangladesh, raising concerns over increasing illegal migration into the state. Authorities have assured that all legal protocols for identification and deportation will be followed rigorously.
The Print
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Meghalaya govt directs districts to expedite fencing work at India-Bangladesh border
'I have instructed the deputy commissioners of East Jaintia Hills and West Jaintia Hills, bordering Bangladesh, to speed up the fencing work, considering it the top priority,' he told PTI. Speaking to PTI, he said that over 40 km of the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya is unfenced, and the state government wants to complete the work at the earliest, so that the stretch can be guarded by the BSF more effectively. Shillong, May 6 (PTI) The Meghalaya government on Tuesday directed two districts bordering Bangladesh to speed up the fencing work, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said. 'You know well the situation in the country as a whole, and especially for us in Meghalaya, living next to Bangladesh is not that conducive, following the terrorist attack at Pahalgam,' he added. Tynsong said that because of land acquisition issues, these portions remained unfenced. 'About 33-34 km along the border in West Jaintia Hills and 7-8 km in the East Khasi Hills district were having land acquisition issues. These areas remained unfenced,' he said. BSF's Meghalaya Frontier Inspector General OP Upadhyay, who attended the high-level meeting chaired by Tynsong, said the force was fully prepared to deal with any situation at the border. He said the fencing will add more teeth to the troops guarding the border, who are on high alert. Meanwhile, the Home Guards Office said civil defence mock drills would be conducted across the state on Wednesday evening. There will be an air raid siren at 6.30 pm, followed by 'Operation Blackout' for 2 minutes, it said, urging the public not to panic. PTI JOP SOM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Pre-monsoon rain lashes Meghalaya, Conrad chairs meeting to review preparedness
1 2 Shillong: CM Conrad K Sangma on Friday chaired a meeting with State Disaster Management Authority and other line departments to review the state's monsoon preparedness in the state which is being lashed by pre-monsoon showers. Deputy CM Prestone Tynsong, health minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, chief secretary DP Wahlang and senior officials from India India Meteorological Department (IMD), PHE, health, PWD and power were presentat the meeting. Deputy commissioners and senior officers from all districts also attended the meeting via video conferencing. The CM, taking stock of the preparedness for the upcoming monsoon, said effective coordination between different departments and organizations is crucial in the preparedness plan not only to reduce and mitigate the effects but also ensure effective and efficient response, minimizing loss and suffering and to restore normalcy. He added that relief, water and housing should be provided immediately in case of an event. Stressing on the role and involvement of the Block Disaster Management Committees, Village Disaster Management Committees and Village Executive Committees, the CM directed the DCs to convene regular meetings and added that specific and defined directions and guidelines are to be given to the village organizations. He also emphasized on the need to disseminate information to people at the grassroots level in a systematic manner through various media and in local languages and informed about the measures taken by the govt to improve early warning systems. "Every region has distinct vulnerabilities and the govt is taking steps to map the vulnerabilities like floods in Garo Hills and landslides in Jaintia Hills and to develop a mechanism for early prediction and forecast," he said. The CM also reviewed the availability of manpower, inventory/equipment like earth movers, boats etc. He said road, water and power are critical sectors that are significantly affected and called for heightened preparedness in these sectors. He further said preparedness and mock drills are to be conducted more frequently as regular mock drills promote a sense of preparedness. Meanwhile, continuous heavy rainfall and hailstorm on Friday led to waterlogging in several areas in the state capital. The IMD Meghalaya has issued a warning for more rain and thunderstorms across most parts of the state in the coming days.
