HYC claims that out of the 21 posts, four were allotted to Khasi-Jaintia candidates, 11 to Garo candidates, two to people in the unreserved category, and four to Other Scheduled Tribes/Scheduled Castes
SHILLONG, Oct 14: The recruitment process for 21 posts of Medical and Health Officers (M&HO) has courted controversy for allegedly violating the Meghalaya State Reservation Policy.
The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has urged the state government to halt the recruitment process immediately.
According to the organisation, the recruitment results declared by the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board (MMSRB) on October 8 show a disproportionate distribution of posts among the indigenous communities. Out of the 21 posts, four were allotted to Khasi-Jaintia candidates (19%), 11 to Garo candidates (53%), two to people in the unreserved category (9.5%), and four to Other Scheduled Tribes/Other Scheduled Castes (19%).
The HYC pointed out that this distribution contravenes the State Reservation Policy, which mandates 40% reservation each for Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities and 20% for others.
Led by its president, Roy Kupar Synrem, a HYC delegation met Health Commissioner and Secretary Joram Beda on Tuesday, seeking his intervention to address the alleged discrepancies.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Synrem said the organisation has demanded a detailed explanation from the Health Department and MMSRB regarding the basis and documentation used to determine the category-wise distribution of posts.
“We have urged the state government to suspend the recruitment process until the discrepancies are corrected,” Synrem stated, adding that the irregularities have placed Khasi and Jaintia candidates at a serious disadvantage.
The HYC leader further called for greater transparency in recruitment, suggesting that the government should publicly disclose the number of posts allotted to each community during every hiring process.
Synrem said that Beda assured the organisation that the matter would be examined and necessary action taken.
He also highlighted that many qualified Khasi-Jaintia candidates, including those currently serving under the government’s 3F system, were overlooked despite being eligible for regular appointments. “We want all qualified candidates to be given a fair chance to serve. Many are trained and ready to work in government hospitals,” he said.
The HYC stressed that future recruitment drives should be conducted transparently and without delay to avoid similar confusion.
According to Synrem, Beda assured the delegation that the next round of recruitment will be held by December this year, allowing eligible candidates to apply as per the sanctioned posts and roster system.
The organisation submitted a written representation to Beda in this matter.
