By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Association of Qualified Grade IV Association-2011, East Khasi Hills began its indefinite hunger strike at Student Field, Jaiaw on Monday.
Talking to newsmen, Association president Tourist Mylliempdah said that they have been forced to resort to agitation again following the Government’s failure to comply with their demand for extending the period of the merit list of the qualified candidates, who are eligible for appointment to the various posts under Grade IV, by April 30.
“We had responded positively to the request to call off the hunger striker after the Government had given a written assurance to look into the the matter,” Mylliempdah said.
It may be mentioned that out of the 331 candidates in the merit list, only 122 have been absorbed so far.
Stating that the Association has been requesting the government since last year to make the required changes so as to accommodate the remaining 209 candidates, Mylliempdah said that the members were expecting the Government to take a sympathetic view of the case since the candidates had taken the effort to go through the selection procedure to rank eleigible for the appointment.
“We had tried to inquire from several sources on the steps taken by the Government to examine our demand and no one was able to provide us with any information on this,” the Association president said.
Mylliempdah lamented that several of the qualified candidates have now crossed the prescribed age limit to apply for any Government job and there only hope now lies on the decision of the Government in the current case.
“The Government would do injustice to many of us who have cleared the examination through a proper channel if they scrap the merit list,” he said.
Mylliempdah asserted that all the members of the Association are firm on continuing with the indefinite hunger strike till the Government gives a written assurance to appoint all the 209 qualified candidates who are yet to be appointed.
Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma during the recently concluded Budget Session had assured that the Government would examine the legalities concerning the appointment of the remaining qualified candidates of the East Khasi Hills Grade-IV merit list.
