SHILLONG, July 24

An alert has been sounded in the plain belts of Meghalaya as incessant rains since Monday triggered flash floods in several parts of the north eastern state washing away aperson and causing a series of landslides, besides inundating roads and cropland.

One person was washed away and six houses were destroyed in West Garo Hills district in the flash floods, official sources said today. Most of the rivers like Jinjiram, Ganol and Simsang were in spate, nearing the danger level.

During its first meeting on Friday, the all-party committee constituted by the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) coalition Government on uranium mining decided to form three groups of experts to study the implications of uranium mining by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) in Kylleng-Pyndeng-Sohiong in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya.

SHILLONG

A study by the Anthropological Survey of India (ASI) on the genetic characteristics of the inhabitants of India's Northeast

The Meghalaya Government has asked the Centre to take special care for uplift of the health sector in the Northeastern States as the services were far from "satisfactory'. At a meeting recently, Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy apprised Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss of the state of health sector in his State, saying that it was far from satisfactory. Roy requested Ramadoss to give adequate fund to improve the vital sector.

The Meghalaya government today admitted a nexus between school managing committees and distributors of foodgrain which has badly affected implementation of the Mid-day Meal Scheme (MDM). The government made the admission after a review meeting of the scheme in north-eastern states with Central Government officials here. Parliamentary Secretary Mass and Elementary Education Ampareen Lyngdoh told the media that certain managing committees and distributors were in nexus that resulted in distribution of poor quality foodgrain in schools under the scheme.

SHILLONG

Minister for Development of North Eastern Region Mani Shankar Aiyar on Wednesday termed the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) recommendation to abolish his ministry as unfortunate and said the Centre should instead increase its budget. The ARC, headed by former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily, had recommended abolition of the ministry and suggested that responsibility for development of the region be restored to the Home Ministry.

SHILLONG, June 12