Following an intervention by VPP MLA from Mawlai constituency Brightstarwell Marbaniang, the State government has asked the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) to cancel the 13 seats in PA Sangma International Medical College under the State quota which have been filled up without consulting the government.
According to an order issued by Commissioner and Secretary of Health Department, Joram Beda today, as per the consensual agreement made on October 29 between the State government and PA Sangma International Medical College, Meghalaya was allocated 64 MBBS seats as State quota.
The breakup of the 64 seats under the State quota as per the state reservation policy are – Unreserved category (nine), Khasi-Jaintia category (26), Garo category (26), SC/Other Scheduled Tribes (three).
The order said that 11 seats in Garo category and two seats in SC/OST category could not be filled during the stray vacancy round. It also said that the management of the PA Sangma International Medical College filled up the 13 seats meant for the State quota purportedly through a decision taken in the counselling committee “without the permission of the State government and in contravention of the consensual agreement”.
After careful examination of seat allocation, the government is of the opinion that the 13 seats need to be allotted to eligible candidates of the State to benefit the local students, the order added.
The order also said that the State government through the Health Department has rescinded the admissions made against the State quota with immediate effect. It also directed the management of PA Sangma International Medical College to withdraw admission of the 13 candidates made against the State quota seats and to refund the fee to the students.
“Furthermore, the seats are to be allocated to eligible candidates of the State as per the list appended following the order of merit and the State reservation policy. This order takes immediate effect, and the concerned authorities at PA Sangma International Medical College are instructed to implement the reallocation accordingly,” the order stated.
It may be mentioned that the VPP MLA from Mawlai had taken up with the Commissioner and Secretary of Health Department few days ago stating that from the State quota of 64 seats for MBBS admissions in PA Sangma International Medical College, only 53 have been filled by eligible candidates from Meghalaya, leaving 11 seats in the Garo ST category vacant.
Marbaniang also complained that these unfilled seats have been allocated to candidates from outside Meghalaya, some of whom have obtained lower NEET scores than local Khasi candidates. He also proposed that the 11 vacant seats originally designated for the Garo category be reassigned to other eligible tribal candidates from Meghalaya and if no suitable candidates are available, the seats can be offered to applicants from outside the State.
