By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 5: The United Democratic Party on Saturday pitched for increasing the combined reservation slab for the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo people from the current 80% to 83% due to the increase in the Scheduled Tribe population.
For recruitment at the district level where the posts are not transferable, the party sought 85% reservation for the permanent residents among the Khasi-Jaintias and Garos who speak the local language.
UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said the party deliberated extensively on the job reservation policy over 14 meetings with legal experts and academicians. “We want the reservation policy to be reviewed objectively without discriminating against anyone and we want it to be acceptable to all,” he said.
“If we consider the Census data, the state’s ST population increased from about 80% in 1971 to almost 86% in 2011. It would, thus, be justifiable if the combined reservation percentage for the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo be increased from 80 to 83 due to an increase in the ST population,” he said.
Suggesting that the Census data may guide the committee to arrive at a plausible division of percentage between the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities, Mawthoh said, “For recruitment at the district level where the post is not transferable in nature, 85% reservation for Khasi-Jaintia and Garo should be given to the permanent residents who speak the local language.”
He said there should not be any compromise with the quality of education and, as far as educational institutions are concerned, merit should be the basis for selecting the teaching community, especially in English and STEM subjects.
“In the educational institutions, a combined reservation of 85% for the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo people should be followed to ensure quality education. For professional courses, this should be according to the merit list and seats, allotted according to the grading of the institutions offering these courses,” he added.
“To ameliorate the plight of the economically weaker section (e.g. BPL) from the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities, a mechanism may be evolved for more leverage to be apportioned to this segment of the population within the reserved category,” he suggested.
The UDP leader also said that the reservation policy and roster system should not be extended to institutions receiving grants-in-aid but should be confined only to state government and state government undertakings.
He further said, “The government should endeavour to induct the reserved categories of the state in various central institutions located in Meghalaya as they fall within the jurisdiction of the Sixth Schedule.”
The HSPDP suggested a combined reservation of 80% for the Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities to bring about healthy competition and efficiency in order of merit amongst the STs of the state.
In a representation submitted to the expert committee members on the reservation policy during the last day of the public hearing in Shillong on Saturday, HSPDP president KP Pangniang said this would prevent deprivation or discrimination based on ethnic identity.
He also stressed the need to review the reservation policy of January 12, 1972, for overall growth in employment of the different categories of society.
Pangniang said the process of carrying forward the reservation to the next recruitment year if there are no eligible ST and SC candidates in a given year should be done away with. Paragraph 2 of the resolution allows vacancies to be carried forward.
He said that since the inception of the Meghalaya, the percentage prescribed by the State Reservation Policy has also been followed to allocate seats for the Khasis, Jaintias, and Garos in academics. “This needs a re-look,” he added.
Pangniang admitted that the subject is complex and fragile. “The government should tread carefully and take serious measures so that the peace and tranquillity in the state is not disturbed,” he said.
“We are looking forward to a positive outcome from the recommendation of the committee constituted by the Meghalaya government,” he said.