SHILLONG : BJP legislator AL Hek has reiterated his demand that Meghalaya’s reservation policy should prioritise families living below the poverty line (BPL), especially households where not a single member holds a government job.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Hek said that if the state government reviews the existing reservation policy, it must ensure that the benefits reach poor families who have never secured government employment.
He stated that his stand remains unchanged from what he had earlier raised in the Assembly. According to Hek, reservation should first be extended to BPL families and those without any government employee in their household. Only after addressing such families should other distribution formulas be considered.
Hek remarked that whether the reservation structure remains 40-40-20 or follows another pattern is not his primary concern. He stressed that his core demand is for special reservation provisions that directly benefit economically disadvantaged families who have historically been left out of government jobs.
The BJP MLA also admitted that he had not gone through the report of the expert committee reviewing the policy. He further said that he was unable to participate in the Assembly debate due to health issues.
However, he maintained that the government should seriously consider introducing special reservation measures so that poor families without government job holders can finally get opportunities in public service.
The issue of reservation continues to generate debate in Meghalaya, with different stakeholders putting forward proposals on how the policy should be restructured.