The Garo State Movement Committee (GSMC) has added its two cents to the ongoing row over Meghalaya’s job reservation policy to say that the Garo community should have a 50 per cent quota of government jobs.
Since the state was created in 1972, Garo and Khasi-Jaiñtias have enjoyed quotas of 40 per cent each in government jobs despite the latter significantly outnumbering the former.
This reservation was subject to a set period in which it could be claimed. If, for example, there was no suitable Garo candidate for a particular post under the quota, the reservation would lapse after a certain period of time. However, this could well change when the roster system that has been arrived at to better administer the reservation system is put in place.
Pressure groups and certain political parties based out of Khasi-Jaintia Hills are opposed to this.
However, the GSMC, in a press release today, said that Garos “are not enjoying even 15 per cent out of that quota” and only 19 per cent of recruits under the Meghalaya Public Service Commission are Garos.
This is due to the Garo Hills lagging behind in terms of education, infrastructure, transport, low incomes, etc, the GSMC said, adding that this necessitates an increase in the quota for the community.
