TURA: The FKJGP Garo Hills zone have written to the District Selection Committee in Tura alleging manipulation in the general category list following non-inclusion of any Garo or other tribal candidate making it to the slot and has demanded that the general list be put on hold and a re-evaluation be conducted on the same.
In a complaint to the Chairman of the District Selection Committee, West Garo Hills, on Monday, the FKJGP objected to the recent declaration of results of the personal interview for two categories of posts, Grade IV and Lower Divisional Assistants under various government departments in the district.
The grouse of the group (FKJGP) is over the 15 percent open category in jobs where no tribal made it into.
“The Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy dictates that any government job sponsored by the state shall have 40 percent seats reserved for Garos and 40 percent for Khasi’ Jaintia tribes respectively, furthermore, there shall be another 5% seats reserved for other SC and ST tribes and remaining 15% seats are declared as general category,” clarified FKJGP president Pritam R Marak and general secretary Raksrang A Sangma.
The FKJGP maintains that the general category is not a reserved category for non-tribal community but, the seats have to be allotted solely based on the merits of the individual candidates regardless of their caste, tribe or community which is what the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy dictates.
“We feel the DSC, West Garo Hills, may have misread or misinterpreted the guidelines of the reservation policy either inadvertently or intentionally, although we suspect the latter to be more accurate. We demand the appointment process be immediately put on hold and re-evaluation of the eligibility of candidates for the general category be taken up including an independent enquiry as to how such an anomaly was committee and identification of those responsible for it,” demanded the federation as it cautioned about possible protest over the issue.