SHILLONG, April 19: Against the backdrop of soaring tension over the implementation of roster system, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar has assured that the government will take the “right decision” while emphasising that everyone must be taken on board in the deliberations over roster system implementation and the demand for a review of the State Reservation Policy of 1972.
“The question of support or not does not arise. I can assure that the government will take a right decision on this,” Dhar said while speaking to reporters here on Wednesday.
The Deputy CM asserted that it is wrong to ask for his comment in his capacity of a political leader representing the Jaintia Hills region.
“I am Deputy Chief Minister for the whole state. I respect the sentiments of each and every citizens of the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy CM Dhar said that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma will convene a meeting of the MDA to discuss on this matter.
“I feel that convening an all-party meeting is very important. We need to hear the stand of the different political parties as far as this matter is concerned,” Dhar said.
Asked if the delay in arriving at a decision may lead to communal disharmony, he said that the state government will take a decision which will be agreeable to all.
Equal representation for all three tribes
State BJP president, Ernest Mawrie on Wednesday said that the party wants the roster system and reservation policy to be equal for all the three tribes of the state — Khasi, Garo and Jaintia.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here, Mawrie recalled that the party has formed a committee to study the entire matter since it has bearings on the public. The advisory committee is led by former MLA HM Shangpliang.
The special invitees in the Committee are MLAs AL Hek and Sanbor Shullai, and party president Ernest Mawrie.
The Committee has been given 15 days to submit the report.
Once the report is submitted, the party would present it before the government with an appeal to consider the party’s suggestions and views on the matter.
It may be mentioned that the NPP-led MDA 2.0 Government is knee-deep in the controversy over roster system following growing pressure from all quarters, including from its coalition partners for a review of the Meghalaya State reservation Policy, 1972. There is additional pressure on the government to implement the roster system “prospectively” and not “retrospectively”.
Albeit the Chief Minister has said that the government would take all stakeholders on board before moving forward on the ‘complicated’ and ‘sensitive’ issue of the roster system and that the matter was being discussed with a government team for resolution, time seems to be running out for his government to come out with a tangible solution to the imbroglio.
Facing a volley of attack from all corners, the chief minister is likely to convene a meeting of the MDA next week to discuss the roster system.
