By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 29: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Wednesday urged the state government to issue a directive to all central government offices and institutes located in the state to abide by the office memorandums (OMs) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on 44 per cent reservation of jobs for Scheduled Tribes in case of direct recruitment to Group C and Group D categories.
HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem said the Ministry concerned had in 2005, 2007 and 2022 specifically issued instructions to all the central institutes and offices that there should be reservation according to the population of ST, SC and OBCs of the respective states for Group C and Group D posts.
“When it comes to Meghalaya, these OMs had specifically stated that the reservation for Group C and Group D posts should be 44 per cent for STs. This means the STs in Meghalaya should get 44 per cent reservation for Group C and Group D posts in all central government offices,” Synrem said.
He claimed they received information that most central government offices and institutions are not following the Ministry’s instructions.
The HYC requested the state government through Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh to intervene in the matter, especially after learning that the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) published an advertisement for the appointment of non-teaching staff.
If NEHU follows the instructions, the state’s ST population will get job opportunities, Synrem said.
‘Misrepresentation of Lineage Act’
During its meeting with the minister, the HYC also demanded the withdrawal of the letter of the Under Secretary in the Social Welfare department to the Deputy Commissioners of East Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills districts for allegedly “misinterpreting” the KHAD (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Act, 1997.
The letter states: “The Lineage Act, 1997 does not prohibit the issuance of ST certificate to applicants adopting the surname of either the father or the mother, and the practice of adopting husband’s surname by a non-Khasi wife was also allowed.”
“This letter, written by the Under Secretary in 2020 to the two deputy commissioners, is a complete misinterpretation of the Lineage Act of 1997. So, we met the Social Welfare Minister to demand that this particular letter should be withdrawn,” the HYC president told reporters.
According to him, the minister told them that he has already sought the file and he will inform them in the next few days whether or not the Under Secretary’s letter will be withdrawn.
Synrem said after getting the letter, they had written to the KHADC seeking an explanation on whether a non-Khasi woman taking the surname of her Khasi husband and getting an ST certificate is allowed.
“After we had sought the explanation, the District Council wrote to the Under Secretary clearly explaining that the Under Secretary completely misinterpreted the Lineage Act of 1997,” Synrem said.
He said despite the explanation, the letter has not been withdrawn by the Social Welfare department. He also said that the state government does not have the power to legislate on matters of social customs which is the prerogative of the District Council.
“But the Minister, at the same time, understands that the government is a party to this legislation since it forwarded the same to the Governor for his assent. If the state government is a party to this Act, then how could a particular officer issue a letter which is against the KHAD (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Act, 1997?” Synrem argued.