SHILLONG, May 11: The High Court of Meghalaya on Wednesday dropped the suo motu proceedings on the preparation of a roster regarding the implementation of the State Reservation Policy but said the injunction restraining further recruitment will continue until the previous occupants in the relevant posts have been identified.
The advocate-general submitted to the court a copy of an office memorandum dated May 10 that showed the state, pursuant to a previous directive, adopted the roster system for implementing the reservation policy in vogue since almost the creation of the state 50 years ago.
A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh said several annexures to the memorandum, in tabular form, cover the areas where persons with disabilities would also be accommodated. The bench also observed there are other areas where the job descriptions are such that persons with disabilities cannot be taken in.
“Since the roster system is now in place, and without going into the merits thereof, the suo motu proceedings are dropped. The injunction restraining further recruitment will, however, continue till the previous occupants in the relevant posts have been identified, whereupon the injunction will cease to operate,” the order said.
According to the court, this will apply to every post covered by reservation so that future recruitment is made only upon ascertaining the vacant slots that need to be filled up, adding only upon such exercise being completed, fresh recruitment to the relevant post may be undertaken.
“This will apply to every entry-level post in every organisation where reservation is applicable,” the order said while making it clear that the validity of the roster system has not been gone into.
“It is also clarified that the gradation list in every post will have no nexus with the roster system as the gradation list will be governed by the merit positions occupied by the persons collectively recruited. PIL No. 5 of 2022 is disposed of,” the order said.
