Govt had appealed for prospective implementation of roster system

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today said that the state government had pleaded before the Meghalaya High Court to allow implementation of the roster system ‘prospectively’.

“After the High Court has given its ruling in 2022, we have filed an affidavit (on this matter) not less than three times where we pleaded with the High Court to allow us (government) to implement the roster system prospectively not retrospectively,” Tynsong told reporters.

“But the High Court at that point in time insisted us that it should be implemented retrospectively meaning from the inception of the state reservation policy,” he said when responding to a query with regards to the demand of the Voice of the People Party to put on hold implementation of the roster system pending the review of the state reservation policy.

Tynsong however informed that the government would soon convene a cabinet meeting and an All-party meeting to discuss the roster system.

“Again we are waiting for the chief minister to reach Shillong and we will call a meeting, we will have a cabinet meeting and also we will have an all-party meeting with all responsible leaders and we will share and will discuss how to go forward,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said, “I have no right to reply on behalf of the High Court but that’s what I am saying the point is very clear that we pleaded already as we wanted to implement it prospectively but the high court insisted and said on record that it should be implemented from the inception of reservation policy. So as of today, it stands like that.”

ACHIK moves Court against communal imbalance

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 5: The Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK) has informed that its vice president Greneth M Sangma had approached the Meghalaya High Court for the protection against any sort of communal imbalance in the state and protection against any discrimination and danger against the Garo tribe living within the state of Meghalaya and Shillong specifically in view of the issue related to the roster system and implementation of the reservation policy.

ALSO READ: KSU for prospective implementation of roster system

In a statement issued today, the ACHIK said that the High Court had given assurance that if any kind of disturbance or communal if need arises, the High Court is open to hearing the plea but since at present only the statement is doing round and no actual communal act has been committed by any group or section of the individual.

ALSO READ: VPP decides to move for special Assembly session

The ACHIK said the PIL filed by its vice president Greneth M Sangma stands un-entertained but with an option to approach and inform HC if any crisis is evoked in any manner in future. The High Court also assured that the roster system cannot be affected, since it is just and fair, it added.

VPP decides to move for special Assembly session

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 5: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has decided to submit a petition to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma to convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the matter pertaining to the issue of implementation of the roster system and the state job reservation policy.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s central executive committee after the order passed by the Meghalaya High Court 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.

ALSO READ: KSU for prospective implementation of roster system

Informing this, VPP spokesperson Dr Batskhem Myrboh said the party has also decided to organise public meetings in the different districts or sub-division headquarters to enlighten the public on the impact of the implementation of the roster system without bringing the much-needed review of the job reservation policy.

Also, the Party in such meetings will elucidate the importance of creating resistance against the attempt to impose a one-language policy in the country marked by diversity and also on the criticality of inclusion of the Khasi and Garo languages in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution of India, he said.

Meanwhile, the VPP appealed to the citizens to attend public meetings. The dates of the public meetings will be announced at a later date.

KSU for prospective implementation of roster system

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 5: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) today asked the state government to implement the roster system prospectively.

“The stand of the KSU is that the government should not implement the roster system right from 1972. If they implement the roster system retrospectively, this will affect our people in terms of job employment. Therefore, the roster system should be implemented prospectively,” KSU Chief Lambokstarwell Marngar told reporters after the General Executive council (GEC) meeting of the union.

This also came a day after the Meghalaya High Court had made it very clear how far back the roster system would be made applicable, these are policy matters that are best left to the legislature and the executive of the state.

Marngar said that the state government is yet to take a decision as to from where it should start implementing the roster system as some of the ministers had recently informed in the just concluded Assembly’s budget session that filling up of the vacant posts could not be done due to the roster system not yet in place.

He also said that many may say that KSU is keeping quiet on the issue but that is not true as the union was doing its own consultation with experts on the subject matter. “Moreover, this is not only the issue of the KSU that we take decisions alone as it is a matter of life and death of our people. Therefore, we cannot take a decision in a haste,” Marngar said.

Further, the KSU chief asked the newly elected legislators to take up the issue very seriously.

“People have voted for them to be legislators so is it not their duty to take up this issue very seriously? If the government empowers KSU, we can immediately take the decision right away on this matter. However, we are making our stand clear before the newly elected representatives that they should do what is in the best interest of the people,” he said while adding that the legislators should take full responsibility if any law and order situation arises out of this issue.

Marngar said that the roster system came following a petition before the Meghalaya High Court which found that there was no roster system put in place since 1972 but the state government cannot take shelter on this and it should ensure that the roster system be implemented prospectively.

“If the government says that the roster system should be right from 1972 it means there is something behind it and this will surely affect the employment of our people,” he said.

He also warned that KSU will take its own course of action if the government considers implementing the roster system retrospectively.

Judiciary leaves details of roster system to executive, legislature

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 4: The Meghalaya High Court today said how far back the roster system would be made applicable, these are policy matters that are best left to the legislature and the executive of the state.

In its order, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee has 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.

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“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 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.”

The Court also stated that this petition, apparently filed in the public interest, appears to be an attempt to muddy the already disturbed waters.

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The order said it was discovered in the year 2022, quite accidentally in course of a service matter before a Division Bench of this Court, that though the reservation policy had been in place in this State since its inception in January, 1972, there was no roster that had been prepared.

Accordingly, this Court took suo motu cognisance of such irregularity and required all appointments to be stayed till a roster was prepared.

Certain ancillary directions were also issued. A roster was prepared.

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 and upon prima facie satisfaction that the roster adhered to the extent of reservation of about 85 per cent that is in vogue in the State, the order stated.