Meghalaya shares reservation panel report with parties, VPP skips talks

The Meghalaya government, on May 6, held a consultation meeting with political parties to discuss the findings of the expert committee constituted to review the state’s reservation policy.

Commissioner and Secretary of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, Cyril V Diengdoh, said the meeting was aimed at presenting the committee’s key recommendations and seeking the views of political parties before any further course of action.

The report, tabled in the Assembly on February 18 this year, runs into nearly 4,000 pages and has been divided into 21 sections. Officials said the document covers a wide range of legal, constitutional and administrative issues linked to the reservation system in Meghalaya.

Given the limited duration of the meeting, discussions remained largely focused on the legal and constitutional aspects of the report. The consultation lasted for around an hour.

Most parties attending the meeting did not raise strong objections to the committee’s findings and welcomed the government’s move to initiate consultations on the issue.

Following directions from Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, copies of the report will now be distributed to all concerned political parties for detailed study.

The absence of the Voice of the People Party (VPP) drew attention during the meeting, particularly as the party has been vocal on the demand for a review of the reservation policy. A government official said the VPP had informed the administration in writing that it would not attend the consultation, though no specific reason was disclosed.

The government indicated that, with participation from most recognised parties, there is currently no proposal to convene another all-party meeting on the matter.