SHILLONG:
The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Tuesday asked the state government to implement the roster system prospectively.
“The stand of the KSU is that the government should not implement the roster system right from 1972. If they implement the roster system retrospectively, this will affect our people in terms of employment. Therefore, the roster system should be implemented prospectively,” KSU chief Lambokstarwell Marngar told reporters after the general executive council (GEC) meeting of the union.
Marngar said that the state government is yet to take a decision as to where it should start implementing the roster system as some of the ministers had recently informed in the just-concluded Assembly’s budget session that filling up of the vacant posts could not be done due to the roster system not being in place yet.
He also said that many may say that KSU is keeping quiet on the issue but that is not true as the union was doing its consultation with experts on the subject matter. “Moreover, this is not only the issue of the KSU that we take decisions alone as it is a matter of life and death for our people. Therefore, we cannot decide in a haste,” Marngar said.
Further, the KSU chief asked the newly elected legislators to take up the issue very seriously.
“People have voted for them to be legislators so is it not their duty to take up this issue very seriously? If the government empowers KSU, we can immediately take the decision right away on this matter. However, we are making our stand clear before the newly elected representatives that they should do what is in the best interest of the people,” he said while adding that the legislators should take full responsibility if any law and order situation arises out of this issue.
When asked, Marngar said that the roster system came following a petition before the Meghalaya High Court which found that there was none in place since 1972 but the state government cannot hide behind this and it should ensure that the roster system be implemented prospectively.
“If the government says that the roster system should be right from 1972 it means there is something behind it and this will surely affect the employment of our people,” he said.
He also warned that KSU will take its course of action if the government considers implementing the roster system retrospectively.