Shillong, May 16 : The Meghalaya High Court has asked the state government to respond to a representation within two months as to whether the job reservation policy was applicable for admission in higher and technical institutions within the state.
Disposing of a petition filed by one Pynskhembor Dkhar, the court on Monday said, The respondents are directed to address the representation dated 19th December 2022, which appears in Annexure-10 of the writ petition so as to clear the air with regard to this issue.
The same shall be completed within a period of two months from today.
The petitioner, who went to court on behalf of two of his relatives who had applied for admission in the College of Teacher Education, Tura, were aggrieved that there was no clarity as regards the applicability of the reservation policy, and no clarification was also forthcoming from the respondents, in spite of a representation.
Additional Advocate General ND Chullai had raised preliminary objections challenging the locus of the writ petitioner and has also submitted that the petition was barred by the principles of res judicata, inasmuch as, on an earlier occasion, the Court dismissed the writ petition on similar grounds.
He submitted that similar treatment should be meted out in the writ petition and the same should be dismissed.
“I have heard learned counsel for the parties. Though certain doubts still remain as to the locus of the writ petitioner, but the issue raised, attains some importance with regard to the two persons named in the writ petition who are still seeking answers to the manner of admission into the state’s higher and technical institutions,” Justice HS Thangkhiew said in his order.
However, notwithstanding the issue of locus, the state government was directed to address the representation dated 19th December 2022, to clear the air with regard to this issue. The same should be completed within a period of two months from today, the court said.(UNI)