Ampareen to seek views of all-party roster panel members

SHILLONG, June 16: Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday said that she will need to seek the views of the members of the all-party committee on reservation roster system and reservation policy on how to move forward.
“I will seek the views of the members of the committee telephonically from June 19,” Lyngdoh, who will return on Sunday from her trip to France, said.
Lyngdoh, who heads the all-party committee, said that she will also find out if all political parties have submitted their written views on the subject matter.
The parties were supposed to submit their views and suggestions by June 15.
However, it is learnt that none of the parties have submitted their views and suggestions.
When contacted, HSPDP president KP Pangniang said that the HSPDP is still seeking the views and suggestions from its party leaders.
“We will be compiling it once we received the views and suggestions from all the leaders. We will also be seeking opinion from the legal experts,” Pangniang who is a member of the committee headed by Lyngdoh said.
He also said that things will move forward as far as the proposal to review the job reservation policy only after the state government constituted the expert committee.
It may be mentioned that the state government had constituted a Search Committee to identify members of the Expert Committee for reviewing the State Reservation Policy, 1972.
The three-member search committee will be headed by Chief Secretary DP Wahlang. The two members include Commissioner and Secretary in-charge Personnel & AR department, R Lyngdoh, and Secretary in-charge Law department, CVD Diengdoh.
The Chief Secretary issued a notification saying that the expert committee would review the state reservation policy by obtaining views from all stakeholders including the political parties, NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
The chairperson and members of the committee will consist of experts in Constitutional Law, Economics, Sociology, Demographic Studies and related fields which shall be notified by the government.
The expert committee will undertake a review of the state reservation policy by obtaining views from all stakeholders and by conducting field visits to all parts of the state, the notification said.
An all-party committee on reservation roster system and reservation policy on Wednesday also suggested appointing an expert committee to review the 51-year-old reservation policy.