SHILLONG, JAN 6: Congress chief Vincent H Pala on Monday urged caution over the recently submitted expert committee report on Meghalaya’s reservation policy, warning that the government must follow due process before making any recommendations public.
“I think after the expert committee submitted its report on the state reservation policy, the government has to discuss it and after that they will place it before the House. They cannot just make it public like that,” Pala said.
He explained the standard procedure for handling such reports saying, “Normally when you set up a commission, I don’t know what type of a system but if it is in the central, first they have to discuss in the government, which recommendation they take and which recommendation they reject and then they will discuss it in the floor of the House and after that only they can make it public.”
Pala highlighted the sensitivity of the issue, noting that the report spans 4,000–5,000 pages and could have far‑reaching implications.
“It will take time for the government to study a 4,000-5,000 pages report. It is not an easy task. Since this is a very sensitive issue as it may involve anything like it happened in Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the main issue was reservation. So, the government should study it properly and whether they accept it or reject it,” he stated.
He added that the government’s deliberation will require careful consideration to avoid unintended consequences “I think (government) will take time because the issue is very sensitive as anything can happen anytime.”
On December 19, 2025, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma assured that the report of the expert committee on the state reservation policy, weighing around 200 kg and spanning 4,000-5,000 pages, will be made public soon.
“It will be made public as I said it is a huge, it is 200 kgs of report, that is like 4000-5000 pages and one has to go through every single word as even a comma can change the meaning of the report or the meaning of that line,” Sangma had assured while responding to opposition VPP president Ardent Basaiawmoit’s decision to stage a protest if the report is not made public.
Meanwhile, the chief secretary and other officials of the state have been tasked to study every line and every page of the expert committee report and submit a report to the government.
