Meghalaya’s Cabinet has approved an office memorandum to strip non-resident Garo tribals of job benefits under the 1972 job reservation policy. The policy requires 80% of jobs to be reserved for Khasi and Garo tribes, with an additional 5% for other tribes and the remaining 15% for non-residents. In line with the reservation roster, the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced the Cabinet’s decision to deny non-resident Garos job benefits under the policy.
The personnel department proposed the memorandum that could withdraw the job benefits of non-resident Garo tribals. The decision received approval from the Cabinet, reiterating that the Meghalaya government would not extend reservation policy benefits to non-resident Garos. Non-resident Garos who work in Meghalaya will not be eligible for these employment benefits.
While some may see it as a welcome move to prevent illegal migration and encourage employment opportunities for the state’s indigenous people, others argue that expanding the policy to include non-resident Garos could help sustain the economy. Regardless of the different perspectives, the decision accurately reflects the Meghalaya government’s commitment to implementing and adhering to the reservation roster policy.
This law ensures that job opportunities are reserved for different communities to promote equality. With the Cabinet’s approval, the personnel department will now enforce the memorandum, which addresses the reservations policy’s current challenges.
The decision will impact those non-resident Garos who are not permanent residents of Meghalaya and engage in work opportunities in the state. Since the reservations policy is very specific, job benefits will now only be provided to those who are permanent residents of the state.
Overall, this announcement highlights the importance of the reservation roster policy’s compliance in Meghalaya and demonstrates the government’s efforts to support its indigenous population. While it stands to benefit some, the implementation of this policy also carries the potential to negatively impact others.
