Shillong: The Meghalaya government will table the report on the state’s reservation policy in the Assembly during the forthcoming Budget session, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Sangma said the cabinet discussed various aspects of the expert committee’s findings and agreed that the report should be placed before the House once the Budget session is convened.
The session has been proposed to be held from February 16 to 27, subject to approval by the governor.
“Based on the proposal to hold the Budget session from mid-February, the cabinet has decided that it would be most appropriate to place the expert committee’s report during the session,” the chief minister said, adding that the government is awaiting formal clearance from the governor to notify the dates.
The reservation policy, framed in 1972, provides for substantial quotas for tribal communities, reserving around 80 per cent of jobs and educational seats for Scheduled Tribes, with 40 per cent each earmarked for Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities.
An additional five per cent is reserved for other STs and SCs, while 15 per cent falls under the general category.
The policy also gives preference to local candidates for district-level posts.
The decades-old framework was reviewed by an expert committee in view of demographic changes and concerns related to equity, with discussions centred on possible adjustments to ensure fairness and account for economic factors.
Sangma declined to disclose details of the report, stating that its contents would be made public only after it is formally tabled in the Assembly, in keeping with legislative procedure.
