By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 22: The state Assembly on Wednesday rejected a Private Members’ Bill, pertaining to selection of candidates to the state quota seats in higher studies, by a voice vote.
The Meghalaya Selection of Candidates for State Quota Seats to Higher Academic Courses Bill, 2023, moved by VPP legislator Adelbert Nongrum, was rejected at the introduction stage.
Moving it, Nongrum said the members are elected by people for a higher purpose of law-making.
“This is not my first Private Members’ Bill. The first one around a year ago on Agricultural Land Regulation, was defeated before I could even begin to explain it in the House,” Nongrum said.
He said the second Private Members’ Bill in the last Autumn session to repeal the Gaming Act was also not supported.
“In this Budget session, we see that the government has introduced a bill on the same subject. So, I am positive that the effort of the Private Members’ Bill is never a lost cause,” the VPP legislator said.
He recalled that he had moved a resolution in the House around the same time last year for the review and revamp of the State Reservation Policy.
“It was debated at length, but the resolution did not win support. A month later, in a case concerning the State Reservation Policy, the High Court of Meghalaya passed an order for the implementation of the roster system,” Nongrum said.
He said they all know what sudden confusion and apprehension the roster system caused.
“And today, we are still seeing the effects, besides quietly or loudly being unhappy with the roster system,” he said observing that the State Reservation Policy is fraught with defects.
Nongrum said the office memorandum relates to job reservation and not to academic reservation.
“So, if, let’s say another case comes up before the High Court challenging the validity of reservation in allotment of seats to medical, allied and engineering courses by application of the State Reservation Policy, imagine what hardship it could bring to the students of the state,” he said.
To pre-empt any fallout of the legal defects of academic reservation being practiced by the state government, the VPP legislator urged the members of the House to lend their support to the Private Members’ Bill, which, he said, is most essential for securing the academic future of the young people.
“I now seek leave of the House to introduce the bill,” the VPP legislator said.
As per the Rules of Business of the Assembly, Nongrum sought permission of the House to introduce the bill but it was denied by a voice vote, with the members of ruling NPP-led MDA government opposing it.