VPP warns of agitation if Meghalaya’s reservation policy review fails to address concerns

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Government on Wednesday tabled the state's long-debated Reservation Policy in the Assembly, prompting a sharp response from the Opposition Voice of the People's Party (VPP), which warned of agitation if the review fails to meet public expectations.

VPP president and Nongkrem MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said the party would carefully examine the policy placed before the House before taking a stand. "If the review is acceptable, we are going to celebrate. If not, we are going to agitate," he asserted, adding that both as legislators and as a political party, they would study the contents in detail before responding formally.

The review of the reservation policy stems from sustained political pressure, including protests that Basaiawmoit spearheaded in 2023 in Shillong, demanding an immediate reassessment of the 1972 job reservation framework. Responding to mounting demands from various quarters, the government constituted an Expert Committee in September 2023 under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) Mool Chand Garg to undertake a comprehensive review.

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