SHILLONG, April 26: The controversy over the job roster system and the Meghalaya State Reservation Policy, 1972, refuses to die down with pressure groups based in the Garo Hills warning the state government against any tweaking of the reservation policy, arguing that their backward region has been deprived for more than 50 years since statehood.
A consortium of groups from Williamnagar (East Garo Hills) including the GSU, FAF, AAYF, and AIGU submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma pointing out that if the roster system is put in place without any counteractive approaches, there would be a disparity among the communities.
The groups said there were very few or no employees belonging to the Garo community in places such as the Secretariat and the head office of the MeECL.
The groups also said there should be no alterations made to the 40% reservation for both Garo and Khasi/Jaintia communities to ensure peace and harmony among the three communities. In support of this suggestion, the groups said there is a lack of equal development in the state economically, educationally, etc., and that it is only the Shillong region that has the facilities.
Pointing out that the youths from the Garo Hills still face many challenges while travelling to Shillong to participate in entrance and other exams, the groups said that while youths from Shillong have the ability to compete in the general category, those from other areas are dependent on quota.
The memorandum was submitted through the East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner on Wednesday following a meeting of the combined groups in Tura.
Facing a volley of attack from various quarters, the state government is holding consultations on the burning issue of the roster system.
A government official on Wednesday said the chief minister and the ministers have been apprised of the system and the implications of its prospective and retrospective implementation.
He said the roster is to ensure quota according to the reservation policy outlined by the Supreme Court.
“The reservation system cannot be applied if the government does not implement the roster,” the official said, admitting that the roster system was not being implemented correctly.
The court wants the government to implement the system aptly.
The VPP had earlier urged the state government to put the implementation of the roster system on hold pending the review of the reservation policy, adding the state BJP has also constituted a committee to study the matter.
The BJP has urged the NPP-led MDA 2.0 government to set a cut-off date for the implementation of the roster system. Other constituents of the MDA like the UDP, HSPDP and the PDF have also requested the state government to delay implementation of the roster system and review the job quota policy.
Winter capital in Tura
Meanwhile, the groups from Williamnagar said making Tura the winter capital of Meghalaya would lead to equal development in all the state’s regions besides making the administration and governance more balanced.
The groups urged the Chief Minister to respond positively to the “long-cherished and genuine” demands.
