Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 7: Several organizations representing OBC communities in Jammu and Kashmir, have appealed the J&K Government to conduct the forthcoming elections of Urban Local bodies and Panchayati Raj System by implementing reservation for “Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as per their population in the Union Territory.
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The demand was made during a joint press conference by OBC Mahasabha, All India Backward Classes Federation (AIBCF), All J&K OBC Welfare Forum and Presidents or representatives of various OBC communities, here today.
They alleged that Jammu & Kashmir OBCs have been deprived from their fundamental right of reservation despite having provision under Article 15,16 and 340 of Indian Constitution and having Supreme Court Judgment dated 16-11-1992 on Mandal Commission report regarding the 27 percent reservation for OBCs in Govt services.
“OBC masses have also been ignored in according them representation in MP/MLA/Municipal Corporations/Municipal Committees/Town Area Committees and in Panchayati Raj System as per their population since independence of our country despite having the provision under Article 243D-6 and 243-6 for Urban Local Bodies and in Panchayati Raj System,” they said and also drew attention towards the Supreme Court judgment, dated 10-05-2022 on a Writ Petition in this regard.
The OBC leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a public announcement at MA Stadium Jammu in 2014 and at Hiranagar in 2019 during his public rallies that JK OBCs would get their fundamental Constitutional rights of reservation in Jammu & Kashmir Govt services and in elected bodies as per their population. However, they rued, the OBC masses of Jammu & Kashmir are still in same miserable condition as they were before the abrogation of Article-370 as their fundamental Constitutional rights of reservation have not been implemented here.
“Now the J&K Govt has initiated the election process for Urban Local Bodies and notified the seats which are to be reserved for SCs/STs and Women vide JK-UT Chief Election Officer, order dated 04-09-2023 without reserving seats for JK-OBCs, whose population is 32 percent as per census-1931,” they said and reiterated their demand of reservation in ULBs.
Those who were present in the press conference, included Kasturi Lal Basotra, Chairman OBC Mahasabha; Faquir Chand, President AIBCF; Mohd Shabir Sambya, President Dhobi Welfare Central Committee; Madan Lal Baldotra, Senior Vice-President of All J&K Prajapati Sabha (Kumhar Biradri); Raj Kumar Chalotra, Vice-President Pardesh Vishwkarma Sabha; Balwant Kataria, Gen Sect AIBCF; Kewal Fotra, General Secretary, All J&K Sain Samaj (Barber community), Vijay Kumar, Manga Ram and Darshan Lal.
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