KHNAM spreads awareness on scrapping personal interviews

The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) today distributed leaflets to public across Shillong with an aim to create awareness with regard the demand to do away with personal interview for group B, C, D in Meghalaya.

Speaking to media persons, KHNAM vice president Thomas Passah said that the government of India since 2016 has come out with an order which directed all state governments in 23 states to do away with personal interviews for group B, C, D.

Passah said that the objective to distribute pamphlets around the city is to highlight and to create awareness among the general public on their demands from the State government to do away with personal interviews as done in other parts of the country.

He added the KHNAM from time to time has demanded from the state government to do away with personal interviews but till date the government has never expressed any desire to discuss this issue even though it is an important issue especially for the youths of the state.

“By distributing these leaflets especially to the youths, we want the public to understand why it is necessary to do away with personal interviews for group B, C, and D in Meghalaya” said Passah.

Passah also urged all regional parties who are part of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) to raise this issue in the next cabinet meeting failing which the KHNAM will seek the support of the public by holding a public rally in the days to come.

KHNAM demands suspension of recruitment sans roster system

The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) said discussing the roster system in the Cabinet alone will not solve or bring light to the problem even as it demanded putting on hold all job recruitments till a proper roster system is in place.

The statement came a day after Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong had informed that the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government will soon discuss and take a call on the issue related to the roster system in the upcoming meeting of the state Cabinet.

Tynsong had also informed that the government may also discuss the issue in the MDA meeting and all-party meeting.

In a statement, KHNAM vice president Thomas Passah said that the statement made by the Deputy Chief Minister on the roster system does not sound promising.

“We would like to state that discussing the roster system in the Cabinet alone will not solve or bring light to the problems. The hopeful steps the government is planning to take on the issue, which includes, Cabinet meeting, meeting with the MDA partners, All party meeting etc as stated by the Deputy CM seems to be time buying tactic on one hand while on the other hand recruitment process of various Departments is being speed up to capitalize on the current and illegal roster system to help one section of the community,” he stated.

“Lately, we have seen that there are lots of advertisements floated for recruitment in various departments in the government, there have been instances also where vacancies have been readvertised as per quota made through the roster system, wherein more seats have been allotted to Garos and fewer seats to the Khasi Jaintia community,” Passah alleged.

Demanding the government to put on hold all recruitment processes, the KHNAM leader said, “Therefore, if the Government is serious, we demand that all recruitment be put on hold, till a proper and legal roster system is in place.”

KHNAM demands special session on Roster System

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 5: The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) today demanded Governor Phagu Chauhan to call for a special session for a discussion on the roster system in the State Assembly.

This came after the Meghalaya High Court had dismissed a PIL with a note that the decision for a cut-off date or how far back the roster system would be made applicable was left at the discussion of the State Assembly.

“Therefore, in the interest of the general public at large we strongly demand that the Governor of Meghalaya call for a special session under article 174 of the constitution of India so that the matter is allowed to be discussed in length at the Legislative Assembly,” KHNAM vice president Thomas Passah said in a statement.

Passah said that the Court has apparently made it clear that it was up to the legislative to have a discussion in length and breadth on the subject matter.

He however said that the Speaker of the House has not allowed the discussion to be held in the last concluded Budget Session, which clearly implies that the MDA-1 and MDA-2 is fighting all out to ensure that the State Reservation Policy (SRP) and subsequently the Roster prepared was to benefit only a section community in the state.

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“Right from the induction of the SRP we have seen that there has been an injustice done to the Khasi and Jaintia Communities,” he alleged.

Passah, while mentioning a few instances, said, the SRP Resolution dated January 12, 1972, clearly stated that the reservation is to be done based on the population of the communities while also ensuring maintenance of administrative efficiency.

“The population of Khasi and Jaintia was 4,88,350 and of the Garo Communities was 3,25,872 as per the census 1972, therefore, allocation of equal percentage of 40 per cent each is not justified and violation of the clause of the SRP itself,” he added.

Further, the KHNAM leader alleged that the reserved quota for Garo Communities has been allowed to be carried forward multiple times.

“Initially, it was allowed to be carried over for one year vide O.M PER/222/71/141 dated 20 Apr 1972 and further the reserved quota for Garo Community was allowed to be carried over for the total of three years vide O.M PER(AR)/654/79/15 dated 12 Sep 1979. The State Government vide O.M PER (AR)/654/79/15 dated 12 Sep 1979 has also allowed special recruitment for the Garo Communities. This does not stop here, further the O.M PER 222/72/163 dated 28 May 1974 also allowed the 40% quota allocated to the Garo Community to be extended to candidates who do not belong to the Garo community and to Candidate from outside the State,” he said.

The initial SRP dated January 12, 1972, stated that: “If a sufficient number of suitable candidates for filling up the particular year are not available, then such vacancies will be available to others”.

“However, this provision has been manipulated and tampered with multiple times which is not only seen as an injustice to the Khasi and Jaintia Community but also a violation to the SRP itself which talks about “Administrative Efficiency”, Passah said.

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On the talking point “the Roster System”, the KHNAM leader also alleged that “the state Government (MDA-1) have introduced the Roster System retrospectively is seen as a political move pre 2023 General Election and it has been implemented by violating several proviso of Reservation Policy and its OM issued from time to time,” while adding that “the Roster System prepared have included in it the reservation that has been treated as lapsed as per the Notifications issued by the Personnel Department, therefore, it’s illegal.”

Yesterday, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee dismissed a PIL filed by one Greneth M Sangma without going into the merits of the matter pertaining to the roster system for reserved seats in the State and said, “The Court may be called upon to look into the matter at a more appropriate stage.”

The Court said the judicial notice needs to be taken of the discussions pertaining to the roster in the new Assembly.

“However, it does not appear that any decision has yet been taken as to a cut-off date or the like or how far back the roster system would be made applicable. These are policy matters that are best left to the legislature and the executive and upon a firm stand being taken, it will be open to any citizen affected thereby to question the propriety thereof in accordance with law,” it had said while adding that “As of now, and without a decision in such regard having been taken by the Assembly which is actively discussing the matter, the present petition should not be entertained.”