North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum has proposed a population-based reservation policy to the expert committee.
The VPP legislator made a separate representation after the party put forth its suggestions yesterday.
According to Nongrum, the total population of Meghalaya in 1971 was, 10, 11,699, the total ST population then was 82.8 per cent. He said the Garo community was 3, 24,197 and the Khasi-Jaintia communities (including Khasi, Synteng or Pnar, War, Bhoi and Lyngngam) was 4, 56,674 persons.
He argued that based on the figures and considering only the three major tribal communities of the state, the Garo constituted 41.5 per cent and Khasi-Jaintia 58.5 per cent. “This suggests that the government’s resolution of 40:40 seemed to have favoured one community over the combined other two, when the ratio should have been 33.2 per cent and 46.8 per cent, respectively,” he said.
Nongrum stated that an anomaly was found during the framing of the principal resolution which should have been rectified as soon as it was detected.
Pointing out that the population of Meghalaya has increased 23, 18,822 persons, with the Garo constituting 37.7 per cent and the Khasi-Jaintia, including Synteng at 62.3 per cent, Nongrum said if the reservation policy had been updated as per the revised census, it would have been in the ratio of Garo 30 per cent and Khasi-Jaintia 50 per cent.
He suggested that there is a need to rectify the reservation policy based on quantifiable data, which according to him is a true and proper basis for reservation.
On academic reservation, he observed that reservation of seats for higher academic courses did not fall under the scope of the reservation orders of the principal resolution and subsequent office memorandums issued by the Personnel Department.
Furthermore, he said the Health, Veterinary departments and the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education misinterpreted the law in nomination of seats for candidates based on categories specified in the reservation policy.
On the Roster system, he said the guidelines for its implementation from May 10, 2022 were not in line with the policy as stated in the principal resolution January 12, 1972.
