Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Mar 6: Shamsher Hakla Poonchi, a prominent Gujjar leader and an intellectual of the State has demanded political reservations for the Gujjars and Bakerwals of the State for their upliftment and betterment.
In a statement issued here, today Hakla said that Gujjars and Bakerwals are living in far-flung and remote areas of the State which mostly are secluded and hence lack all basic facilities of life.
He said to bring them at par with other communities of the State and country, they need to be given the political reservations and full benefit of the ST status granted to them by Government of India way back in 1991.
Hakla said though the community was granted S T status by the Government of India 27 years ago, the State Government had failed to grant them political reservation till date.
He said the community is still politically, economically, socially, educationally lagging behind and backward.
He said there are 31 State Assembly segments and two Lok Sabha segments which are inhabited by Gujjar and Bakarwals. But due to indifferent attitude of the State Government the Gujjar and Bakarwal community stands deprived of this political reservation right.
Follow our WhatsApp channel