Shillong, June 13: The Khasi Student’s Union (KSU) today has sent representation to the Justice (Rtd) Shri Mool Chand Garg, Chairman, Expert Committee on the State Reservation Policy, Government of Meghalaya, Shillong, through, Bah L. K. Diengdoh, Secretary, Expert Committee on the State Reservation Policy, Government of Meghalaya,
The KSU since its inception has been working for the welfare of the Khasi tribe in terms of safeguarding the rights of the community, seeking more developmental activities in various sectors and to ensure that the miniscule Khasi tribe is not overwhelmed by other major dominant communities from outside.
Through this missive, the KSU would like to send its suggestions regarding the modification of the current existing reservation policy prevailing in the state of Meghalaya.
That the Committee chaired by your Mool Chand Garg had issued a Public Notice to seek consultation, suggestion and comment on the State Reservation Policy in the State of Meghalaya, and its aims at gathering comprehensive feedback from all the stakeholders in the State in matter relating to the revise of the Reservation Policy in the State of Meghalaya.
That in pursuance of Clause 4 of the Article 16 of the Constitution of India, the Government of Meghalaya, Personnel Department, Vide Resolution No PER 222/71/138, dated 12th January, 1972, allocates 40% of reserved jobs to Garo Tribe, 40% for Khasi-Jaintia Tribe, 5 % in favor of other Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes and 15% is designated as Unreserved for vacancies at the State Level and District Level to be filled up through direct recruitment.
That the State Government while making any provision for reservation of appointment or post in favour of Garo and Khasi- Jaintia Schedule Tribes may take the total population of a particular tribe and when the State Government after doing the necessary exercise make the reservation and provide the extent of percentage of post to be reserved to the respective S.T. of the State of Meghalaya and the percentage has to be followed strictly.
However according to the 2011 census of the State of Meghalaya is home to about 14.1 lakhs Khasi-Jaintia population and slightly over 8.21 lakhs Garo individuals, therefore the figure underscore the significances of a comprehensive revise of State Reservation Policy to ensure equitable representation and opportunity for all individual of the Khasi-Jaintias and Garo Community, further on considering the latest census of the State of Meghalaya
The KSU suggest that 50% of the vacancies in favour of the Schedule Tribe Khasi- Jaintia and 40% in favour of the Schedule Tribe Garo community and 5% in favour of other Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes for vacancies at the State Level and the remaining 5% to be left as Unreserved Category to be filled up through direct recruitment.
Further considering the position as regards the District level posts where the incumbent are not likely to be transferred outside the District of Original posting, therefore the KSU propose the reservation will remain as it was embodied in the Resolution No. PER.222/1/132, dated 12th Januarry 1972 with a slight modification if the proposal of 50% for Khasi-Jaintias and 40% for Garos is to be accepted.
The KSU also proposed that there will be a combined reservation of 90% of the posts in favour of Garos, Khasi-Jaintia instead of separate reservation of 50% in favour of Khasi-Jaintia and 40% in favour of Garo, apart from 5% reservation in favour of other Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribe who was the inhabitant of Assam now the other Schedule Caste & Schedule Tribe in the State of Meghalaya.
That we further suggest that the while selecting candidates to such posts, preference should be given to the local Candidates residing permanently in the concerned District in which the vacancies occurred.
In other word in Garo Hills the whole combined reservation of 90% will be available to Garo in the absence of any interested candidate belonging to the Khasi-Jaintia community, and in Khasis-Jaintia Hills District, the combine reservation of 90% will be available to Khasi-Jaintias in the absence of any interested candidate belonging to Garo Community.
That it need to mentioned herein with that recently the Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court in the PIL No 2 of 2023, has discovered that though the reservation policy had been in place in the State Of Meghalaya since its inception in January, 1972, there was no roster that had been prepared, and despite the Court noticed that a roster had been prepared and the matter was given a quietus without going into the veracity of the roster that was prepared.
Therefore it was least expected from the functionary like the Government or any authority pronouncement that the reservation roster shall be retrospective, therefore opinion of the Organization in order not to deprive the fresh qualified candidate appearing for various Government Jobs, the revise Reservation Policy will have prospective effect.
From the date the New or Revise Reservation Policy come into effect or with effect from the Government publish in the Gazette of Meghalaya. That the State of Andhra Pradesh Vide G.O.Ms No.3, dated 10.01.2022, had provided 100% reservation in favour of local scheduled tribal candidates for the post of teacher in all schools situated in scheduled areas, therefore the Union urge that 100% reservation in favour of local Khasi-Jaintia Schedule Tribe candidates for the post of teacher in all school situated in the Schedule areas of Khasi-Jaintias region.
The KSU proposed 100% reservation in favour of local Garos Schedule Tribes candidate for the post of teacher/S.S.A teacher in all school situated in the Schedule area of the Garo region. That we also would like to suggest that the vacancies filled by transfer or deputation or by promotion, temporary appointment of less than one year duration and the post which is purely temporary establishment such as work-charged staff including the daily rated and monthly rated staff, the Reservation Policy will not be applicable.
That we further suggest that in the new or revise Reservation policy, the backlog reserved vacancies which will be carried forward to the next recruitment cycle shall be deleted and omitted or do away, and in the case the 50% of the vacancies post in favour of the Schedule Tribe Khasi[1]Jaintia and 40% in favour of the Schedule Tribe Garo community were not able to fill the vacancies at the State Level to be filled up through direct recruitment.
Details and numbers of the backlog reserved vacancies which remain unfilled due to want of suitable candidate, the concern Head of the Department are shall be submitted to the Personnel and A.R (B) Department for proposed advertisement for the backlog reserved vacancies.
Again the revise Reservation Policy separate reservation of 50% in favour of Khasi-Jaintia and 40% in favour of Garo, apart from 5% reservation in favour of other Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribe then Assam now the other Schedule Caste Schedule Tribe in the State of Meghalaya will be applicable. The reorientation was sign by the President Lambok S Marngar and Donald V Thabah General Secretary of the KSU.
