Staff Reporter
Shillong, Aug 28: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) today submitted a memorandum to the chief secretary (CS) with regard to the cabinet decision on the appointment of chairman and members of the expert committee to review the state reservation policy.
In the memorandum, the KHNAM stated that there is a difference between the decision taken in the All Party meeting held on 31st May 2023 and the terms of reference proposed by the cabinet.
“It may be reminded that during the all-party meeting held on 31st May 2023 resolution was taken to constitute an EC for the purpose of review/amendment of the Reservation Policy 1972 whereas in the terms of reference proposed is to study the current State Reservation Policy and recommend modification, if necessary” said the memorandum
The KHNAM demands that the term of reference of the EC should be specific and clear and that is to “Verify the recommendation received from the political parties and recommend modification of the State Reservation Policy”.
In the memorandum submitted to the CS, the KHNAM stated that the second term of the reference proposed by the Cabinet was “to undertake wide ranging consultation with all stakeholders and visit various locations of the State to solicit the view of all stakeholders”.
“We see the second terms of reference as an option for delay which is totally unnecessary. We do not see the necessity for the EC to waste time and money by visiting every location in the State. We would suggest that all Stakeholders be allowed to submit their views and suggestions to the EC within a specific time frame for study and verification which would allow the EC to complete its task within three months”.
The KHNAM also suggested that individuals who are locals from the state be also included in the EC, so as to enable the EC to have a brief understanding about the other aspect that relates to the State Reservation Policy and the aspiration of the people at large.
Staff Reporter
Shillong, April 23: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has stated that if the State government has firmly decided to implement the roster system 'retrospectively', then it has to ensure that roster registers & roster accounts are prepared correctly and strictly according to rules.
A memorandum in this regard was also submitted to the chief minister Conrad K Sangma for his intervention with a copy to all political parties which include NPP, UDP, VPP, HSPDP, PDF, BJP, AITC, Congress.
KHNAM vice president Thomas Passah said the government will also require to engage the main stakeholder viz. MPSC, etc in the process of preparation of roster registers by directing them to re-publish all the result notifications from the year 1972-2022 in modified format showing the category-wise break-up of recommended candidates.
He said following the above exercise, direct the government departments to prepare the roster registers and roster accounts by correctly recording the information and figures provided by MPSC or state recruitment authorities.
"(The third step is) to avoid any possibility of falsely exaggerated backlog of posts, ensure that the information & figures pertaining to Khasi-Jaintias or Garos or other STs candidates who got appointment against 15 per cent provision for unreserved category should not be entered and recorded in the columns or spaces meant for the reserved categories but should be recorded only in the columns or spaces meant for Unreserved category together with those of non-tribal employees," Passah said.
"However, in case the above requirements cannot be complied with in totality then the government should discontinue the retrospective implementation and opt for prospective implementation with effect from 2023 onwards," the KHNAM leader said while also demanding that the current publication of advertisement for various vacancies by concerned authorities needs to be immediately stopped and cancelled to avoid any further complication.
Passah said that the method adopted in preparing roster registers and generating roster accounts is highly erroneous, faulty and untenable because of the following reasons: "It does take cognizance of the fact that for the many years, a majority of the candidates who got appointment against the Unreserved or Open category belong to the Khasi-Jaintia community; instead the above method works on the presumption that all the serving Khasi-Jaintia employees got appointed only against that 40 per cent reserved quota meant for them and no Khasi-Jaintia employees got appointed from UR or Open category."
"Going by the above presumptive method, a large percentage of Khasi-Jaintia employees who got appointment against 15 per cent provision under UR or Open category were presumed as if they got appointment against 40 per cent Khasi-Jaintia reserved quota and so their number & names were wrongly included under the Khasi-Jaintias reserved category," he said while adding "Resultantly, this blunder i.e. wrong entry of the number and names of the Open or UR category Khasi Jaintia employees in the roster registers has given rise to a false impression that the number of Khasi Jaintia employees is much more in excess of their quota provision, thereby showing a wrongly exaggerated backlog of posts/vacancies in favour of the candidates belonging to one particular community, which will give undue advantage and benefit to that community at the expense of those belonging to the Khasi-Jaintia community."
Further, Passah also warned that the two different methods that may be associated with the preparation and generation of the roster registers and roster accounts for retrospective implementation of roster system can give rise to the complications.
He said the correct method of preparation of foolproof roster registers and roster accounts which can give true projection of the number of vacancies to be distributed amongst the different categories of candidates was not adopted and used by the government depts. probably because of the absence of requite information and figures in the result notifications of MPSC, etc.. issued in old defective format during the period 1972- 2022.
"The other method which is actually incorrect has since been adopted and used arbitrarily by government depts. without involving the MPSC, etc. and that has resulted in false projection of the number of vacancies to be distributed amongst the different categories of candidates," he said while adding that this fabricated method has falsely projected a highly exaggerated and artificial backlog of posts or vacancies in favour of the candidates belonging to one reserved category at the expense of those belonging to the Khasi- Jaintia category or community.