SHILLONG, March 10: The KHNAM MLA from North Shillong, Adelbert Nongrum presented the highly interesting and most concerning matter of revamping the job Reservation Policy of the State in the Assembly today.
In presenting this matter, Adelbert Nongrum said that his raising of this issue is not meant to create a feeling of communal disharmony or hatred amongst the communities of the State, but it is because he is deeply concerned by the path of development in the State even after its 50 years journey and where it presently stands.
He demanded that after 50 years, it is time to revamp, to re-examine this act again which provides 40% job reservation for the Garo community, 40% job reservation for the Khasi-Jaiñtia communities and 20% job reservation for other communities.
He said that this policy has remained the same even after 50 years which makes this policy no longer a policy but a conspiracy while expressing that he has brought this voice of the voiceless forward. The Office Memorandum (OM) issued on the 12th of January, 1972 was issued when Meghalaya was not yet a full-fledged State.
He said that in the year 1971, Meghalaya had a population of 10 lakhs, 3 lakhs comprising of the Garo community and the Khasi-Jaiñtia communities comprised of more than 4 lakhs, which means that the Garo community constituted only 41% while the Khasi-Jaiñtia communities constituted 58% and this 40% reservation meant for the Garo community is clearly an imbalance when in fact it should have been 33% for the Garo community and 46% for the Khasi-Jaiñtia communities.
He said that the support that he had extended to the MDA Government which has been in power for 4 years is due to this matter of job reservation policy and not for a chair of power.
