Meghalaya government on Monday signalled cautious deliberation over the recommendations of the Expert Committee on the State Reservation Policy, assuring that no hasty steps will be taken on an issue with far-reaching consequences. Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh, speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, said the voluminous report—running into thousands of pages—would be examined thoroughly before the government formulates its stand.
“The cabinet this morning took cognizance of the report and the various recommendations and has decided to immediately study the report. It is a voluminous bulky report running into several thousands of pages. We will take time to study the various recommendations and we should be able to after due diligence then come up with definite decision on the various recommendations of this committee,” Lyngdoh stated.
He noted that while some of the proposals advocate status quo, several fresh aspects, including economic considerations, have been introduced. “As I have mentioned that there are various recommendations some of which are also new in the sense that there are factors like economic considerations, so few recommendations which now as members of the cabinet we will study in depth and after which we will come back and update you,” he added.
The minister underlined that the report, which reached the government in June, demands careful examination. “We will not commit a mistake of rushing into any decision because each of the recommendations carry a lot of weight and need to be studied,” Lyngdoh said, pointing out that the Chief Secretary had already briefed the cabinet but members still had questions and required more clarity.
Reiterating that the state retains the final authority, Lyngdoh said the government reserves the right to either accept or reject the recommendations, but will strive to ensure a balanced outcome. “We have always been balance and we will continue to be so. Yes, government has the option to accept or reject the recommendations. But finally, recommendations are just suggestions but the decision is finally that of the state government,” he asserted.
On the legal implications flagged in the report, Lyngdoh admitted that certain courses of action could have consequences that need to be weighed. “Obviously the report indicated that if you take this course of action, these will be the legal ramifications, so we will need to therefore peruse and go in-depth into the each of the recommendations,” he said.
