The Meghalaya High Court today dropped the suo motu proceedings against the State government and also disposed of the PIL on the same after it was informed that a roster system was adopted for the implementation of the reservation policy for job recruitment.
During today’s hearing, Advocate General Amit Kumar produced before the division bench of the High Court a copy of the office memorandum issued by the Personnel (Administrative Reforms) Department dated May 10, 2022 which stated that the roster system has been adopted in the State and all government appointments have to be made as per the roster.
There are several annexures to the office memorandum. These annexures, in tabular form, cover the areas where persons with disabilities would also be accommodated and other areas where the job descriptions are such that persons with disabilities cannot be recruited.
“The State has adopted the roster system for implementing the reservation policy which has been in vogue since almost the inception of the State for the last half a century. Since the roster system is now in place, and without going into the merits thereof, the suo motu proceedings are dropped,” the High Court said.
The High Court also made it clear 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.
However, the High Court said that the injunction restraining further recruitment will continue till the previous occupants in the relevant posts have been identified and only then the injunction will cease to operate.
“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. Only upon such exercise being completed, may fresh recruitment to the relevant post be undertaken. This will apply to every entry-level post in every organisation where reservation is applicable,” the court said.
It may be mentioned that the High Court had on April 5 stayed all government appointments and job interviews in the State in view of the absence of the roster system.
After a lot of homework in the past few weeks, the Meghalaya cabinet had yesterday approved the roster system for implementation of the reservation policy in ‘letter and spirit’.
Besides, the State government also put in place a roster system for implementing the 4 per cent reservation for People with Disabilities in the State.
