North Garo Hills Job Reservation Policy Coordination Committee, Resubelpara (NGHJRPCC) on Thursday submitted their recommendation to the Expert Committee on Reservation urging that the status quo of the current reservation policy in Meghalaya should be maintained.
The NGHJRPCC also demanded that the committee should ensure that the existing provisions for our Garo community remain intact stating that any change in it would lead to further disadvantages to the Garo community.
The Coordination committee said, “That the Committee undertakes a comprehensive review of socio-economic data and empirical evidence to assess the continuing need for the reservation policy and refrains from making any changes that could adversely impact the Garo community.”
Secretary of the Committee Walseng N Sangma said, “The Garo community has consistently received a disproportionate share of benefits and has been significantly deprived of our rightful opportunities over the years.”
The committee from North Garo Hills said, “We trust that the Expert Committee will consider our petition with the seriousness it warrants and make recommendations that uphold the principles of the true essence of reservation.”
“A perusal of the census of Meghalaya State Government employees 2022 issued by the Directorate of
Economics & Statistics, Government of Meghalaya clearly reports that the Khasi & Jaintia community comprises 35031 (61.69%) out of the 56790 Scheduled Tribe employees and our Garo community are only at 19874 (35%) in the Government of Meghalaya,” the recommendation stated.
“It is prima facie evident by these records that our Garo community have been the deprived lot in matters of employment to Government services. The Job Reservation Policy of Meghalaya provisions for 40 % for Khasi Jaintias & 40 % for the Garos in letter but seldom applied in spirit as evidently seen in government records,” it added.
Stating that this current reservation policy ensures that our community receives fair representation in government services and educational institutions, the North Garo Hills Committee said, “Altering the policy could disproportionately affect the Garo community and lead to feelings of social instability, particularly among our community, which has historically relied on these provisions of reservation. Factual ground studies and surveys indicate that our Garo community still lags in various socio-economic indicators, including literacy rates, employment levels, and access to higher education. These indicators highlight the critical and continuing need to maintain the current policy to address the disparities effectively.”
Meanwhile, the Home (Political) Department, Government of Meghalaya in a Notification issued on 10th July, 2024 has informed that the time for submission of report to the Government of Meghalaya by the three Regional Committees has been extended till 30th September, 2024.
It may be mentioned that the state Government last year formed the Expert Committee to review the Meghalaya State Reservation Policy of 1972. The government’s decision followed a 10-day hunger strike called by Voice of the People Party supremo Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit in May last year which received widespread support from the citizens in Khasi-Jaintia Hills.