The Voice of the People Party (VPP) today came out with its election manifesto containing the party’s 34 pledges for the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled on February 27.
Besides pledges to revamp education, health, agriculture etc, the party also said that there is a strong need for review of the reservation policy and to make it as a law.
“The present reservation policy of the State is not a law but it is a collection of executive orders. Moreover, it is exclusionary in certain aspects. Situations and conditions have not remained the same as in the year 1972. Therefore, there is a strong need to bring about a review of the reservation policy and to be made in the form of an Act,” the VPP manifesto said.
The VPP manifesto promised to institute an inquiry by the CBI against the alleged financial irregularities and scams and other excesses committed by the MDA government.
It also promised to review the boundary agreement signed between the MDA government and the Assam government.
The party also promised to end political appointments and to abolish commissions that are created with the sole purpose of providing political patronage.
“Only those boards and commissions that can provide expert advice with expert members shall be retained,” it said.
It also promised to scrap the reimbursement of income tax extended to the officers of the All India Services serving within Meghalaya.
The party also promised to pursue for implementation of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873 in the whole State while at the same time maintaining the cordial relations between all communities who are the genuine residents of the State.
Speaking to reporters, VPP president Ardent M. Basaiawmoit said that the issue of influx can only be solved through a multi pronged approach.
He said that the attempt on the part of the government to bring the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016 is one of the factors to deal with the issue.
He however said that the party’s main concern is the failure by the State government to push the Central government for withdrawal of the presidential notification which had removed the word Khasi-Jaintia from the preamble of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation in 1873.
On the absence of ILP from the manifestos of other political parties, Basaiawmoit said that it is for the people of the State to judge.
“This itself speaks volumes that these parties are not serious for implementation of ILP in the State but just wanted to pacify the agitated youth. The resolution passed on ILP in 2019 by the State government is not even necessary. If the government really wanted to implement ILP in the State, it should have fought for the withdrawal of the presidential notification,” he added.
Meanwhile the party also pledged that in order to safeguard the indigenous tribal cultures and customs, it would pursue and pressurise the Government of India for an extension of the special protective provisions for Meghalaya under Article 371 of the Constitution of India.
“The VPP has fielded 18 candidates this time and we must remember that any party that wins eight seats in this election will be in a position to influence the government on any issue. There is likelihood that the VPP will have a key role in this five-year term and through this we will make the other political parties understand the importance for the extension of Article 371,” he maintained.
