SHILLONG, JUNE 13: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has asserted the need to come up with a comprehensive new or revised State Reservation Policy to ensure equitable representation and opportunity for all three tribes – Khasi-Jaintias and Garos – of the state.

In a letter to the Expert Committee on State Reservation Policy on Thursday, the KSU said 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 after doing the necessary exercise make the reservation and provide the extent of percentage of post to be reserved to the respective ST of Meghalaya and the percentage has to be followed strictly.

“…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 underscores the significance of a comprehensive revise of State Reservation Policy to ensure equitable representation and opportunity for all individuals of the Khasi-Jaintias and Garo Community,” it said.

On considering the latest census of Meghalaya, the KSU said, “we 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.”

It said that 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, “the KSU proposed the reservation will remain as it was embodied in the Resolution No. PER.222/1/132, dated 12th January 1972 with a slight modification if the proposal of 50% for Khasi-Jaintias and 40% for Garos is to be accepted, i.e. 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 Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribe who was the inhabitant of Assam now the other Schedule Caste & Scheduled Tribe in the State of Meghalaya.”

It further suggested that 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.

Further, the KSU also asserted the need to ensure that the roster system for the state reservation policy is implemented with prospective effect.

“…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, i.e. from the date the New or Revise Reservation Policy come into effect or with effect from the Government publish in the Gazette of Meghalaya,” it said.

The Union also urged that 100% reservation in favour of local Khasi-Jaintia Schedule Tribe candidates for the post of teacher in all schools situated in the Schedule areas of Khasi-Jaintias region, and 100% reservation in favour of local Garos Schedule Tribes candidate for the post of teacher/SSA teacher in all school situated in the Schedule area of the Garo region.

It also suggested that the vacancies filled by transfer or deputation or by promotion, temporary appointment of less than 1 (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.

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The KSU further suggested that in the new or revised reservation policy, the backlog reserved vacancies which will be carried forward to the next recruitment cycle shall be deleted/omitted or do away.

“and in the case the 50% of the vacancies post in favour of the Schedule Tribe Khasi 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 Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribe then Assam now the other Schedule Caste Scheduled Tribe in the State of Meghalaya will be applicable,” it added.

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