The committee set up by the State government to discuss the roster system today decided to recommend to the government to allow discussion on the reservation policy as demanded by the Voice of the People Party (VPP).
The committee in its meeting held here today decided to request the State government to extend the terms of reference of the committee by also allowing discussion on the job reservation policy apart from the roster system.
Informing this at a press conference today, chairperson of the committee Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “We are going to request the government of Meghalaya to include a discussion on the job reservation policy at the earliest.”
“We will request the government to include discussion on job reservation policy at the earliest so that we can give an opportunity to the VPP to present its view to the committee. We will at the same time send a recommendation to the government to allow all political parties to do the same exercise because it will be unfair if only one party is given a chance,” she added.
Terming the proposal as an important milestone that the committee is about to cross, Lyngdoh expressed the hope that the State government would allow the committee to go beyond the terms of reference “and to be inclusive”.
“We will request the government to also allow this committee or any other committee even at the leadership of the minister to take up this matter in the interests of the people of the State,” Lyngdoh said.
Appealing to the fasting VPP president Ardent M. Basaiawmoit to come and be part of the next discussion of the committee, Lyngdoh said that no conversation on the roster would be possible and would be unfair if the VPP is not included.
Basaiawmoit has been on an indefinite hunger strike since May 23 to pressurise the State government to review the job reservation policy.
However, the government has not paid heed to his demands. Instead, the government has been giving presentations to political parties and civil society leaders on what exactly is the roster system. The VPP and KHNAM were the only political parties that refused to take part in the government presentations.
Meanwhile, the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) did not attend the meeting and said it stands firm on its demand for review of the reservation policy and prospective implementation of the roster system.
KHNAM President Pyndapborthiaw Saibon said that the party received the invitation letter for the meeting at the eleventh hour and decided not to attend it.
“It is very unprofessional for the government to issue a letter hours before the scheduled meeting, this is however not important to us but a mere observation,” he said.
He said the party had sent a letter to the Law Minister and Chairman of the Committee, with its demands for review of reservation policy 1972 and its subsequent office memorandum and also to ensure that the roster registers be maintained with effect from May 2022.
“We stand by the two demands made by the party and we will not compromise on either of them. Therefore attending a meeting for discussion does not arise,” Saibon said, adding, “The party do not need further discussion but a resolution on both the matters.”
