VB Impact: Meghalaya house in B'luru to be functional by December, confirms Minister Rakkam Sangma
After years of delay, Meghalaya Government acts on students’ plea following Vartha Bharathi report
Bengaluru: In a major impact following Vartha Bharathi’s report on the long-pending demands of the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) Bengaluru unit, the Meghalaya government has announced that the much-awaited Meghalaya House in Bengaluru will become functional by the end of December 2025.
Education Minister Rakkam A. Sangma, who also holds the General Administration Department (GAD) portfolio, confirmed that both land and building for the Meghalaya House in Karnataka’s capital have been acquired. "We have paid, we have possessed the building… maximum before December we will start," he said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
According to Sangma, all financial procedures have been finalized, and only the furnishing and final administrative processes remain. "Once furnishing is done and other requirements are fulfilled, we will start operations. In the next three to four months, Meghalaya House in Bengaluru will be ready," he added.
The announcement comes days after Vartha Bharathi published a detailed ground report highlighting the concerns raised by Donboklang Nongphud, President of the KSU Bengaluru Unit. In the report, Nongphud stressed the urgent need for a dedicated state-run facility to assist Meghalaya residents, especially students, patients, and professionals residing in Bengaluru.
The Meghalaya House is expected to serve as a crucial support centre, providing affordable accommodation, official assistance, and a direct communication channel between the residents and the Meghalaya government. It will also help address ongoing issues related to discrimination, fraud by education agents, and the lack of state-level support mechanisms in the city.
“Happy with the announcement but not fully until we finally get the Meghalayay house”
Reacting to the news, Donboklang said, “We are happy, but not fully satisfied until we finally see the Meghalaya House functioning. In March too, a similar promise was made. This time, a document says that the land near Shivajinagar has been purchased. We should go and verify it.”
He further remarked, “I am only 70% hopeful. This demand has been pending for nearly a decade. Still, we appreciate this step.”
Don also lauded Vartha Bharathi’s coverage. “Your report reached Meghalaya. Journalists there picked it up and directly questioned the GAD Minister. Vartha Bharathi was the first to cover our story locally, and we thank you for highlighting our voices,” he said.
General Secretary of KSU’s Central Executive Council, Donald V. Thabah, after speaking to Minister Paul Lyngdoh confirmed that the acquired property near Shivajinagar spans over 5,000 square feet. “It’s a five-storey building with a basement, about 10 rooms, two suites, residential quarters for officials including an Assistant Resident Commissioner, and two dormitories, one each for boys and girls, accommodating 50 persons each.”
He noted that this facility, once functional, will greatly benefit the Khasi and broader Northeast community residing in Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mangaluru, which are education and employment hubs for people from the region.
“This demand dates back more than ten years. Our former presidents, including Mr. Rymphang Nongsiej, had taken up the matter with successive governments, both Congress and BJP. We have met GAD ministers, state leaders, and yet the project kept getting delayed,” said Thabah.
He emphasized the need for concrete outcomes this time, stating that while the recent announcement is welcome, KSU remains vigilant. “Until the inauguration happens, we won’t stop monitoring.”
Thabah also highlighted the critical need for such a government facility, noting that many students and job seekers from Meghalaya fall victim to fraudulent educational agents and employers in Karnataka. “They are lured by false promises of good colleges and jobs, but upon arriving here, reality is harsh. Meghalaya House will help us coordinate with Karnataka authorities and regulate these misleading practices,” he said.
Thabah also pointed out that Delhi has a functional Meghalaya House and a dedicated police unit for Northeast residents. “But Karnataka, which has a significantly larger Northeast population, lacks such facilities. A functional Meghalaya House here will not only support our people but also aid Karnataka authorities in managing data, providing assistance, and ensuring safety.”
What If the Deadline Fails Again?
When asked about the next course of action if the December deadline is missed, Thabah said that both the KSU Central Executive Council and Bengaluru unit would convene to talk and figure out further strategies to pressurize the government.
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Bangladesh court sentences Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in corruption cases
Dhaka (PTI): A Bangladesh court on Monday sentenced deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to 10 years in jail in two separate corruption cases related to alleged irregularities in allocations of land in a government housing project.
Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-4 Judge Rabiul Alam handed down the verdicts, sentencing Hasina to a total of 10 years’ imprisonment — five years in each case, state-run BSS news agency reported.
The court sentenced 78-year-old Hasina, her nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and her nieces, Tulip Rizwana Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq, and others in the cases over alleged irregularities in the allocation of plots under the Rajuk New Town Project in Purbachol.
The judgment was pronounced at around 12.30 pm.
Tulip Siddiq was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment — two years in each case — while Radwan Mujib Siddiq and Azmina Siddiq were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in both cases.
Rajuk member Mohammad Khurshid Alam, the only accused to surrender before the court, was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment in each case, totalling two years.
The court also fined all convicted persons Tk1 lakh each and ordered them to serve an additional six months in prison in default of payment.
Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests. She was earlier declared a fugitive by the court.
The cases were filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged abuse of power in the allocation of two 10-katha plots.
According to the prosecution, the accused manipulated the allocation process and violated existing rules and regulations of the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
