Comm submits recommendations to Govt
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 2: Process has been set into motion for much awaited reservation to the people living on International Border and nearby areas in Jammu and Kashmir as the State Commission for Backward Classes is learnt to have submitted its recommendations for the same to the State Government.
Authoritative sources told the Excelsior that the Commission has recommended benefits of reservation to people living in border villages within an area of zero to six kilometers from the International Border.
For the purpose, the sub rule c (11) of the rule 4 of J&K Reservation Rules 2005 shall be amended and re-cast as “residents of the areas adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC) and the International Border (IB), instead of residents of area adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC)”.
Pertinent to mention that in term of J&K Reservation Act 2004, read with J&K Reservation Rules 2005, residents of the areas adjoining Actual Line of Control (ALC) with Pakistan and China in Jammu and Kashmir have already been provided reservation benefits to the extent of three percent.
As per the official data available with the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, the reservation benefits to IB people will approximately cover a population exceeding three lakh and villages numbering over 350 from Kathua to Pargwal in Akhnoor.
However, sources added, the areas and villages already declared as RBA shall not be entitled to the benefits of the reservation under the category of International Border areas.
Even as the Commission has recommended reservation benefits to the residents of areas adjoining International Border at par with ALC, sources disclosed that decision on maintaining the present quantum of quota at 3 percent or increasing the same for ALC and IB residents combined together shall be taken later on after the fate of two Bills, pertaining to reservation for Pahari Speaking People and economically weaker classes of unreserved category, is decided.
It may be recalled that the two Bills, one envisaging six percent reservation to weaker and under privileged classes of the unreserved category and other one extending three percent reservation benefits to the Pahari Speaking People in the State, are awaiting final nod of the Governor after approval of the Legislative Assembly as well as the Legislative Council during the last budget session.
At present 43 percent reservation has been fixed to various categories, including SC (8 percent), ST (10 percent), Social Castes (2 percent), RBA (20 percent) and the ALC (3 percent). The Bill proposing six percent reservation to weaker and under privileged classes of the unreserved category also envisages that the percentage of RBA reservation shall be restricted to 15 percent instead of existing 20 percent.
After both the pending Bills are approved by the Governor, a combined of total of 47 percent reservation would be fixed to all categories and then the Commission will have the choice to increase the present quantum of 3 percent quota to 6 percent for ALC and IB combined, sources explained.
The Commission has recommended reservation benefits to the people of International Border in view of their repeated suffering on account of direct line fire, minor skirmishes, cross border fire and other similar incidents.
Besides death and destruction, people living in border villages are often subjected to dislocation and displacement, which has physical and psychological affect on the. The Commission has observed that irrespective of the scale of hostility, the degree of sufferings remain the same. The people are forced to leave homes and denied health care as well as education. The studies of students of these villages are disturbed frequently and they therefore find it hard to compete with their counterparts of other peaceful areas.
When contacted, Chairman of the SCBC Jeet Lal Gupta confirmed that the Commission has submitted its recommendation to the Government for reservation to the people living in villages on the International Border as they deserve protection against the uncalled for suffering and discrimination.
He further informed that the issue also came up in his recent discussion with Governor Satya Pal Malik, who was very positive for extending reservation benefits to the residents of areas adjoining International Border.
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