Shillong, May 15: Notwithstanding the pressure from the opposition political parties, the state government will take its own time to decide on the sensitive issue related to the reservation policy and implementation of the roster system in the state, cabinet minister and MDA government’s spokesperson Ampareen Lyngdoh said on Monday.
“This is a matter which is very, very sensitive. We must tread very cautiously. It is fine if the members of the opposition put this pressure on us but we will take our time in deciding how to take this forward,” Lyngdoh told reporters.
Her statement came after the Voice of the People Party (VPP) had announced its first phase of agitation by organizing a sit-in-protest against the failure of the state government to put on hold all recruitment process till the reservation policy and roster system is reviewed within 48 hours, the ultimatum of which ended on Sunday.
When asked, the minister however said, “I cannot speak on behalf of the government per se on this matter but individually I would believe that the MDA-2 is working hard towards partnering, discussing and dialoguing with all partners firstly in government across the board and subsequently with political parties, NGOs, student organizations.”
“The chief minister is expected to come to the station by tomorrow, maximum by day after tomorrow. Surely, there is a plan that we have in our mind and, yes, we are going to take up the issue. It is not that we are dodging discussion over the issue. We are taking it up but we are not going to be put under pressure by anyone because this is a very, very delicate matter, I don’t want to see it going wrong,” she added.
Lyngdoh said that the government needs to make sure that stakeholders are taken on board before taking a decision on the matter.
“We will take suggestions from everyone, we will make sure that these suggestions are looked at technically and we will take up anything that is going to be positive and constructive in further decision taking in this matter,” she asserted.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma had recently assured that the government will start the process of consultation with stakeholders with regards to the reservation policy and the roster system after May 15.
