TURA: After the Garo Students’ Union (GSU), East Zone, Williamnagar raised questions over the functioning of the MeECL alleging discrimination towards the people of Garo Hills with regard to a job recruitment process, the union’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to personally look into the matter.
Earlier, the GSU East Zone submitted a complaint to Conrad claiming that the status quo of 40% job reservation policy of 1972 was violated by the department in all the recruitment processes held recently.
“In the recent appointment of 20 candidates on June 11, to various posts at different places in Khasi Hills, all the candidates belonged to a particular community. Similarly, in the recruitment on contractual basis on June 29, all 52 seats have gone to the people of the same community,” it had alleged.
The union added that alleged undisclosed appointments are taking place within the department leading to dwindling strength of Garo employees in the MeECL. According to the union, when questions were raised on the alleged anomalies in the recruitment, all recruitment processes were stopped immediately on the pretext of Covid-19 and shortage of fund despite the fact that surplus recruitment had already taken place outside Garo Hills during that time. The union at the time had also threatened to resort to agitation over the matter.
Following up the matter on Tuesday, the CEC led by Zikku Balgra N Marak demanded that status quo for job placement be adhered to and recruitment conducted in a transparent manner. The CEC also urged Conrad to seek a clarification from the MeECL at the earliest.