SHILLONG, May 31: The Voice of the People Party said that the committee comprising different political parties has resolved to recommend to the state government to constitute an expert panel for reviewing the reservation policy.
“In the meeting, the VPP was able to call upon the government to constitute the expert committee,” VPP general secretary, Ricky A.J. Syngkon said after attending the all-party meeting on Wednesday.
Asserting that VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit will continue to fast until and unless the government issues a notification for the constitution of the expert committee, he said the development is a partial victory for the party, which has been demanding the review of the quota policy.
However, briefing reporters earlier, the chairperson of the committee, Ampareen Lyngdoh said the formation of the expert committee was only one of the suggestions of the members who attended the meeting.
Congress backs expert panel suggestion
The Congress on Wednesday endorsed the suggestion to constitute an expert committee for examining the demand to review the job reservation policy of 1972.
Speaking to reporters immediately after the meeting of the committee on reservation roster, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Ronnie V. Lyngdoh said the party understands that this is a very critical issue as it concerns the future of the youth of the state.
“We fully endorse the call for reviewing the job reservation policy. We also suggested that there should be an expert committee to study the views and suggestions on how the government should take a decision on this matter,” he said.
He said the party is happy that Congress was given two weeks’ time by the committee to submit its views.
Lyngdoh said the party would need to meet since only the MLAs would give their views and suggestions on this matter.
“We will be able to share the details of our views and suggestions only after the party deliberates on this issue,” the CLP leader said.
Congress legislator Celestine Lyngdoh said any decision on this matter needs to be properly examined and not done in a hasty manner.
“We will also have to sit with legal experts of the party before submitting our views and suggestions since they have to be in line with the provisions of the Constitution and should not be in conflict with any law,” he said.
“The committee can only suggest and the onus is on the government to accept the suggestion to constitute an expert committee,” he said.
Replying to a query, the CLP leader said the expert committee should have a demographic expert, an economic expert, a legal expert, a social expert, and a constitutional expert.
“We will have to think about the constitutional and legal validity. We are happy that the committee has agreed to recommend the constitution of an expert committee to the government,” he said.
When told that the party’s Gambegre MLA, Saleng A. Sangma suggested a combined 80% reservation for different tribes, the CLP leader said his Garo Hills counterpart has to right to express his opinion.
Congress MLA from Nongstoin, Gabriel Wahlang said this is the first time that all MLAs of the party are demanding the review of the reservation policy in unison.
The party’s Mawhati MLA, Charles Marngar urged the people to have patience since the issue needs to be examined thoroughly.