Shillong Aug 21:The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has called off its agitation on Friday (Aug 21), and submitted petitions to all the 36 Khasi-Jaintia MLAs ahead of the Assembly session scheduled on August 24 to raise its demands.
According to the KSU, instead of taking out a procession and holding a sit-in demonstration at Khyndailad, the union wanted the support of the Khasi MLAs to raise the five demands in the Assembly.
The KSU assistant general secretary Pynshai Rani said that the petitions have been submitted to all the 36 MLAs of Khasi Hills as part of efforts to pressure the representatives to raise the five demands placed by the union before the state government.
The KSU said efforts will be made to submit petitions to the 24 legislators from the Garo Hills region.
The petitions were circulated to units and circles falling under 36 constituencies.
“MLAs are elected by the people and it is their duty to speak on matters that affect employment opportunities and the hardships of the entire community as well. Therefore the organisation leaves it to the wisdom of the representatives on the duty that they should perform,” Rani said.
However, the KSU said the union will not sit idle and will continue to fight for its demands until the state government fully implements its aspirations.
The union will hold a sit-in-demonstration on August 24 at the statue of U Woh Kiang Nangbah opposite Shillong Civil Hospital from 11 am.
Following this on August 25, sit-in demonstrations will be held in seven districts of Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
The KSU said it will not hold any agitation programme on August 22 to avoid inconvenience to candidates appearing for the LDA examination conducted by the MPSC.
Five demands of KSU
The KSU wanted scrapping of the public hearing of Shree Cement held on July 31 and action against the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills and officials of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board for their alleged role in the hearing.
The union also demanded immediate implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016 along with entry and exit facilitation centres, implementation of the Inner Line Permit under the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1873, and enforcement of the amended Meghalaya Identification and Registration of Migrant Workers Act, 2020, which it said has been pending for over two years.
The KSU also called for resolving the recruitment issues at NEIGRIHMS as assured by the government in May.
It also wanted reforms in state recruitment by abolishing personal interviews for Grade B (non-gazetted), Grade C and Grade D posts, reforming the MPSC and DSC, and framing a Standard Operating Procedure for all recruitment boards.
