Meghalaya: VPP chief A. Basaiawmoit to continue hunger strike until formation of expert comm to review Reservation Policy

"From the very first day we (VPP) have been demanding the formation of an expert committee to review the Job Reservation Policy," said VPP General Secretary

The Voice of People Party (VPP) chief Ardent Basaiawmoit to continue his indefinite hunger strike that began on May 23 until the state government issues a notification announcing the formation of an expert committee to review the Reservation Policy, informed party General Secretary Dr Ricky Syngkon today.

Talking to the media, Dr Ricky Syngkon said that a resolution was adopted at the roster reservation committee meeting today, and it was unanimously decided that the committee will write to the State government requesting the formation of an expert committee of legal and constitutional experts.

Ricky Syngkon said, “From the very first day we (VPP) have been demanding the formation of an expert committee to review the Job Reservation Policy and since the roster reservation committee today decided to request the government for the same, we are hopeful that the state government will soon come up with the notification of the formation of an expert committee to review the Job Reservation Policy.”

“However, our (VPP) president Ardent Basaiawmoit will continue his indefinite hunger strike until we see the notification from the state government,” he added.

It may be mentioned here that VPP on May 23 began its indefinite hunger strike as part of the party’s agitation against the Meghalaya government for its alleged “indifferent” and “adamant” attitude towards its demand to review the Reservation Policy.

The VPP has been firm in its stand on the Reservation Policy for government jobs in Meghalaya. The party feels the policy is not proportionate to the population. The party had reiterated that the base year of implementation must be 2021 or 2022 and not 1972.

Implementation of the Roster System in the State Reservation Policy retrospectively has turned into a political hot potato with many groups as well as political parties such as–Voice of the People Party (VVP), KHNAM, Achik Conscious Holistically Integrated Krima (ACHIK), the Khasi Students Union claiming that the roster system is flawed since it is detrimental to job seekers from the Khasi and Jaintia communities.

The roster system determines the reservation of posts for different categories. Since 1972, a total of 40% of state government positions have been set aside for the Garo and Khasi groups, 5% for other in-state tribes, and 15% for the general population.

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