Reservation without a roster is meaningless: CM

SHILLONG, MAY 18:  Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday said a reservation without a roster is meaningless.

After chairing a meeting with the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance partners, Sangma said, “Talking roster and not touching reservation policy is not going to make any sense that is not correct at all because reservation is a different subject but a reservation without a roster is meaningless.”

He was reacting to the statement made by the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) that discussing the roster system without touching the reservation policy would not be enough as it urged the government to allow discussion on reservation during the all party meeting tomorrow.

“You have to understand what a roster is. The roster is basically a scheme or a process or a schedule to implement the reservation policy in letter and spirit,” Sangma said.

When asked that KHNAM and VPP are demanding review of the reservation policy based on population, the chief minister however said that the broader discussion on the reservation policy is something that is not going to be discussed in yesterday, today and tomorrow’s meeting.

“These three days have been specifically kept for the roster system, to implement the roster system in view of the court order and to ensure that the reservation policy which was made in 1972 is implemented in letter and spirit,” he maintained.

The chief minister said after giving a presentation during the meeting, MLAs and leaders of the MDA partners have given their views and suggestions and “we have noted them down”.

He informed that a decision has already been taken in regards to the roster system and said, “That’s the line we are moving forward and now we are reaching out to all stakeholders and MLAs and explaining to them on what system the government is following.”

When asked if the MDA was unanimous on the cabinet’s decision on roster system, Sangma said, “It is unanimous in the sense that they have taken the points, they have understood, they have appreciate the different points we have made, they have still a lot of doubts as I said I tried to explain some points as you can understand it is complicated so it is more complicated than what I told you just now. So there are many scenarios which will develop through that, many complications, so all those things were explained to them so whatever they could grasp at that point in time I am sure they have found it satisfactory.”

“But they (leaders of MDA partners) have a lot of questions and said please allow us to absorb what has been shown to us, a lot of information was shown and they have said that they will discuss it and if necessary if we have more doubts we will come back,” he added.

Further, the chief minister clarified that everything is being done based on the roster and the reservation policy and said, “We are very clear on that. It is a simple formula that has been followed.”

“There is no advantage to any person, it is just that when reservation is there, a roster has to be there. It is mandated by the government of India, Supreme Court  and hence Meghalaya should have implemented the roster system from day one. As I said, the roster system allows a particular post which is meant for a certain community to go to that community.”

He further explained: “Now when the reservation comes in it actually charts out and prepare a schedule of which category and which post will go to which category so if the roster comes out tomorrow for reservation, it will plot exactly that position number 1 is meant for unreserved, position number 2 is for Khasi-Jaintia and position number 3 is for Garo, position 4 will be for Khasi-Jaintia, position 5 will be for Garo, position 6 will be for Khasi-Jaintia. It plots those points in the sense that tomorrow if there is an appointment or an interview called for 3 posts then there will be one post for unreserved, one for Khasi and one for Garo – that is what a roster does.”

Meanwhile, the Voice of the People Party has urged people, who are supporting the demand to review the reservation policy, to come out in large numbers tomorrow to pressurize the state government to implement the demand.

The VPP has also threatened to intensify its agitation if the government continues to delay reviewing of the reservation policy while maintaining that the problem is not with the roster but with the policy.

By Our Reporter