Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 7: To get rid of the political compulsions, which desist periodic revision of the pockets notified as Reserved Backward Area (RBA) even after more than 10 years, the State Government is contemplating to vest the J&K Commission for the Backward Classes with powers to exclude the areas now cease to be RBA in respect of development but still enjoying the benefit of reservation.
Authoritative sources told the Excelsior that the Government is mulling amendment in the J&K State Commission for Backward Classes Act, for which a proposal is under active consideration for further action.
For the purpose, sources added, there will be amendment in Section 11 of the JK SCBC Act, which presently empowers the State Government to undertake revision of the RBA pockets, which are no more backward.
Pertinent to mention that periodic revision of the pockets falling under RBA has never been done ever since the Backward Classes Commission came into existence 23 years back even as there is provision for the same after every succeeding period of 10 years as per Section 11 of the Act.
There are a number of pockets and areas, which are presently more developed and equipped with all the basic facilities but still enjoying the benefits of RBA because of no periodic revision of the lists owing to political reasons.
Besides whole districts of Kargil and Leh, there are 2638 villages in the State, which have been so far notified as RBA while representations from more than eight hundred villages are under consideration of the State Backward Classes Commission for being declared as RBA. There are total 6553 villages in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per Section 11 of the J&K State Backward Classes Commission Act, the State Government may at any time, and shall, at the expiration of 10 years from coming into force of this Act and every succeeding period of 10 years thereafter, undertake revision of the lists with a view to excluding from such lists those classes who have ceased to be backward classes or for including in such lists new backward classes.
However, because of political reasons and compulsions, no Government could dare to revise the lists thus enabling certain areas, which are no more backward in any respect, continue to avail the benefit of reservation at the cost of those deserving the same.
The matter was variously raised in the Legislative Assembly also by some Members of the House but no one was ever ready for getting any pocket of his own constituency de-notified despite qualifying for the same, sources explained.
To get rid of this political compulsion, which has been desisting the Government to affect periodic revision of the lists, a proposal is learnt to have been mooted to vest the JKSCBC with the sole powers to de-notify RBA pockets, which cease to be so in the opinion of the Commission.
Sources said that the matter has been discussed with the Department of Social Welfare, which is in conformity with the proposal and in fact asked the Commission to prepare a draft proposal for consideration of the same by the State Cabinet.
After the Cabinet approval, sources added, the draft proposal will be sent either to the Legislature for an amendment in the JK SCBC Act or to the Governor for issuance of an ordinance in this regard very soon.
When contacted, Chairman of the JKSCBC, Jeet Lal Gupta confirmed that a suggestion for amendment in Section 11 of the Act has been made by the Commission, which is already working out to identify certain pockets, which have been declared as RBA over the decades and cease to be so in the opinion of the Commission for the consideration of the Government. “The benefit of reservation must be extended to only those areas which deserve the same and this is one of the priorities of the Commission,” he added.
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