By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 7: VPP MLA from North Shillong, Adelbert Nongrum has suggested to the Expert Committee on Reservation Policy that a certain percentage of the quota should be allocated to the underprivileged tribals under the non-creamy layer category based on a Supreme Court order.
Talking to The Shillong Times, Nongrum said the reservation for the non-creamy layer should be taken from the quota allotted to the STs of the state in order to address the economic disparity within the STs.
The VPP MLA also suggested 50% reservation for the Khasi-Jaintia category and 30% for the Garos.
He said if the 50:30 proposal is not accepted then there should be 86% combined reservation for the STs as per the 2011 census.
The VPP MLA said he has also pointed out that the 1972 policy should not be utilised for academic purposes and should be exclusively retained for jobs.
The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has suggested a combined reservation of 80% to be made available to the Khasis, Jaintias and Garos and the same should be considered on the basis of merit.
“This will uphold the provision of ‘Maintenance of Efficiency in the Administration’ as provided in Para 1 of the quota policy. If the combined reservation suggestion is not acceptable then 50% quota should be allotted to the Khasi-Jaintia communities while 30% should be allotted to the Garo community,” KHNAM president, Pyndapborthiaw Saibon said in their representation to the Expert Committee.
Saibon suggested the need to do away with the Office Memorandum of May 28, 1974, according to which the vacancies reserved for Garos are being made available to persons who are not Garos, but merely conversant in the Garo language, customs and usages.
According to Saibon, this is against the core objective and purpose of the reservation and it provides for misused of reservation by others; therefore, it needs to be ensured that such provision(s) should not be allowed.
He further suggested that the implementation of the 1972 policy be extended to semi-government department, corporations, organised private sectors and private establishments so that more employment opportunity is made available to the local youth.
He further stated that an amendment be incorporated in the job reservation policy so as to clearly indicate that the quota policy is meant only for job reservation and not for any academic purposes.