By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 24: In a bid to provide better opportunities for local candidates and ensure effective postal services in Meghalaya’s remote areas, the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communication has issued a new Office Memorandum (OM) revising the local languages required for the engagement of Gramin Dak Sevaks in Meghalaya’s offices under the North East Circle. The OM, dated July 10, updates previous communications from March 25 (2021), July 20 (2021), and June 9 (2021), concerning the local language provision for these postal positions.
According to the revised OM, the local languages for the districts in Khasi-Jaintia Hills (East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, East Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, Eastern West Khasi Hills, and Ri-Bhoi) will now include Hindi, English, and Khasi. For the Garo Hills districts (East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills, North Garo Hills, and South Garo Hills), the local languages will be Hindi, English, and Garo.
Previously, the applicable local languages in Meghalaya were only Hindi and English.
This revision follows a representation by the FKJGP (Federation of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People) on May 21, 2023, to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. FKJGP president Dundee C Khongsit had expressed concerns that the existing criteria, which mandated Hindi or English, disadvantaged local youth competing for these positions against candidates from outside the state, who typically score better in these languages.
Khongsit highlighted that many selected candidates from outside Meghalaya often chose not to take up postings in the state, preferring transfers to their home states due to Meghalaya’s challenging geography and language barriers, particularly in remote villages. This situation, he argued, defeats the purpose of establishing Branch Post Offices in remote areas and denies local youth employment opportunities.
In response to these concerns, the CM had written to former Union Minister for Communication, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in May 2023, requesting that the draft model notification of the Department of Posts be amended. Sangma advocated for the inclusion of local languages spoken in Meghalaya — specifically Khasi or Garo — alongside Hindi and English for the engagement of Gramin Dak Sevaks, similar to practices in Assam and Manipur.