SHILLONG, Oct 22: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has warned of renewed agitation over unresolved recruitment issues at NEIGRIHMS, accusing the state government of failing to honour its assurance to arrange a meeting with the Union Health Minister.
In separate letters to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and NEIGRIHMS Director Prof Nalin Mehta, KSU assistant general secretary Pynshaborlang Rani sought time-bound action on the union’s charter of demands regarding recruitment norms, reservation rosters, and employment opportunities for local indigenous candidates.
“Despite assurances given by the state government, there has been no tangible progress toward resolving the issues raised by the union,” Rani said, urging the chief minister to intervene directly.
The union had previously launched an indefinite sit-in at NEIGRIHMS on May 1 over recruitment practices and local representation, but suspended the stir on May 5 following the government’s assurance that it would facilitate talks with the Union Health Minister.
Rani noted that the proposed meeting was pursued during subsequent discussions with the state government, including a meeting with the Chief Secretary on August 26 and September 8. The union has now sought an immediate meeting and a firm timeline to resolve the grievances.
The KSU’s key demands include revising the 20:80 male-to-female ratio in nursing officer recruitment, restoring the upper age limit of 35 years for relevant posts, conducting examinations offline via OMR sheets, reviewing the reservation roster, and identifying backlog vacancies.
In its communication to Prof Mehta, the KSU demanded that the institute’s Governing Council defer any decisions or approvals related to the contested recruitment posts until the union’s demands are addressed. The union also called on the director to step down on moral and administrative grounds if he is unable to resolve the impasse.
While stating that it remains open to dialogue, the KSU urged the chief minister to formally take up the issue with the Union Health Ministry and warned that it will resume democratic protests if its concerns continue to be ignored.