Office picketing by NGOs passes off peacefully

Two companies of BSF personnel were deployed to man "sensitive" government buildings in Shillong city, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police A R Mawthoh told PTI.

Four NGO activists were picked up by the police from Laitumkhrah area of the city early today for disrupting normal life and preventing office goers from going to their respective offices, police said.

There was very thin attendance today in government office and only about 15-20 per cent of the government employees turned up in East Khasi Hills district, while in Ri-Bhoi district the attendance was about 58-60 per cent, official sources said.

The attendance of government employees in West Khasi Hills district and Jaintia Hills was reported to be normal, official sources said.

The NGOs, the Khasi Students Union, the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People and the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front, had demanded the government to stop election enrollment drives in the four districts including Shillong city in view of the vulnerability of enrollment of "dubious" voters.

An all party meeting has been convened by the government to discuss in the issue of "dubious" voters in Meghalaya tomorrow.