By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 2: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Friday questioned Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma’s claim that the report of the Expert Committee on the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy, 1972, weighs around 200 kg, and demanded that the state government immediately make the report public.
Addressing reporters, KSU president Lambokstarwell Marngar said the Chief Minister’s remark was difficult to comprehend for a policy document.
“If it were the Constitution of India, one could perhaps understand such a claim. But saying a policy report weighs 200 kg is hard to understand. The Chief Minister is in a better position to explain this,” he said.
He also questioned the delay in releasing the expert panel’s recommendations, saying it was unclear why the report was still under examination.
“I do not know what the report weighs. I also do not understand how many years are required to study it,” he said.
Marngar described the government’s explanation as vague and lacking clarity. “If the government can show and measure the report in kilos, then we will believe it. Right now, everything sounds unclear,” he remarked.
Stressing the need for transparency, the KSU president said the report should be placed in the public domain at the earliest, particularly as public suggestions have already been submitted.
“The government must frame a policy that satisfies the people. Ultimately, it is the public that will accept or reject the recommendations of the expert committee,” he said.
Marngar said that a policy-related report need not be excessively lengthy. “This is a policy matter, not the Constitution of India. If the government is serious about improving the job reservation policy, a concise report should be sufficient,” he added.
Stating that the public was currently in the dark, he said there was no justification for withholding the report after the committee had submitted its recommendations. “The government should place the report in the public domain without further delay so that people can assess the recommendations,” he asserted.
Marngar said the KSU would also consult other civil society organisations and political parties on the issue. “This is not the responsibility of the KSU alone. We will collectively deliberate on how to press the government to release the report,” he said.
Referring to the Chief Minister’s statement that the report needs to be examined line by line and clause by clause to avoid errors, Marngar said meaningful comments could only be made once the public had access to the document. “People must be allowed to read and understand the recommendations,” he said.
