Shillong, Dec 25 (PTI) A honeymoon murder, rise of a regional party, infrastructural push and crackdown on illegal coal extraction dominated headlines in Meghalaya this year.
The killing of Indore-based
businessman Raja Raghuvanshi allegedly by his wife and others grabbed national attention, with the police arresting multiple accused and filing a detailed charge sheet. The case fed into wider debates on policing capacity and the handling of high-visibility investigations.
Meghalaya Police stated it was among the most resource-intensive probes in recent years, citing financial tracking and interstate coordination with agencies in Madhya Pradesh.
Political currents shifted in tandem. The Voice of the People Party (VPP), which secured its maiden Lok Sabha win in 2024 by unseating three-term Congress MP Vincent H Pala in Shillong, consolidated its standing by sweeping the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council polls and forming the executive committee early this year.
The outcome signalled a break from long-standing alignments in urban Khasi-Jaintia areas and underlined the party's transition from agitation to administration.
Congress receded further after its lone remaining MLA, Ronnie V Lyngdoh, resigned and joined the ruling National People's Party (NPP), a move recognised under the anti-defection law and one that left the party without representation in the 60-member House.
A major cabinet reshuffle in September added to the governance churn, with eight ministers resigning and eight inducted as the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance recalibrated coalition representation across NPP, UDP, HSPDP and BJP.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma retained finance and cabinet affairs, while both deputy chief ministers held portfolios linked to home, public works and urban infrastructure.
Sangma said the decisions followed consultations to ensure "balanced regional representation across districts".
The government positioned connectivity and youth-linked investment as central fiscal priorities, investing in road upgrades, skill development and tourism infrastructure.
Beautification drives continued in Shillong alongside appeals for traffic discipline, while judicial nudges pressed land acquisition linked to an airport proposal.
A Rs 50-crore support package to revive an airfield in the western region was pitched as a step toward improved air access.
Education and youth livelihoods drew administrative attention. The state disbursed Rs 130 crore in scholarships covering nearly 70,000 students, and advanced a World Bank-supported initiative to retain adolescents in school.
A new curriculum decision mandated Khasi and Garo instruction up to class 1, which Sangma framed as cultural grounding, noting that children must learn with "confidence and a sense of belonging".
Tourism and cultural events shaped the economic narrative. The revived Autumn Calendar returned marquee festivals, with Me'gong Festival in Garo Hills drawing visitors. Officials claimed that the sector revived post-pandemic.
Heavy rain triggered landslides along tourist approaches to Shillong and Sohra. In the Dawki-Shnongpdeng belt, tourism stakeholders highlighted water pollution in parts of Umngot River due to road-cutting work on the Shillong-Dawki stretch under the NHIDCL corridor.
The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board inspected the site, imposed a fine for non-compliance and tightened scrutiny along the route.
In the sports sector, work progressed for a football stadium with 40,000 capacity near the state capital.
The issue of illegal coal extraction dominated regulatory discussion later in the year.
In December, the East Jaintia Hills administration demolished 11 unauthorised coke plants operating without mandatory approvals, acting on the high court’s directions with supervision from enforcement and pollution control officials.
A court-appointed committee later reported that illegal coal mining remained active in parts of the district. It recommended intensified patrolling, exit-point checking and regular compliance reporting to the chief secretary.
Row erupted when a cabinet minister, while responding to a query on missing coal stock near riverbanks, suggested that monsoon rain "could have washed" some into Assam and Bangladesh -- remarks that drew scrutiny amid judicial monitoring.
Disputes along the Assam-Meghalaya inter-state boundary also remained active.
In Lapangap, farmers attempting to harvest paddy in a disputed tract were stopped by villagers across the boundary, prompting police deployment and administrative appeals for calm.
In October, a Karbi villager died and several people were injured in a clash over farmland access near West Karbi Anglong and West Jaintia Hills. Both state administrations reiterated that regional mechanisms would continue. PTI JOP ACD
