The Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) today joined the call for 80 percent job reservation in the private sector, ostensibly to combat youth unemployment.
The pressure group met with the Chairman of the Meghalaya Public Service Commission to discuss joblessness. The MPSC Chairman admitted to a slowness in government recruitment, which was put down to the massive number of applications received for every vacancy.
The FKJGP was of the opinion that an IT cell within the MPSC would help alleviate the jam.
Pressure group leader Dundee Khongsit also said that the state needs its own employment policy that will cover state and private sector employment.
“Job opportunities are in all sectors and, as an organisation, we have seen that vacant posts are saturated.” he said. “The government alone cannot accommodate all unemployed youths, so other sectors have to be looked into. By having our own state employment policy, the government can put in a provision that a minimum of 80 out of 100 employees at private sector organisations should be locals.”
Eighty percent of government jobs are already reserved for Khasi-Jaintia and Garo tribals in Meghalaya.
In July, the Hynniewtrep National Youth Movement had written to the Chief Minister, calling for 80 percent reservation in private jobs.
Companies are usually opposed to job reservations, for efficiency, competitiveness and other reasons but the HNYF pointed to introductions or moves to introduce private sector quotas in states like Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
