Panchayats to empower OBCs: Sunil Prajapati

BJP OBC Morcha leaders at a press conference at Jammu on Friday.
BJP OBC Morcha leaders at a press conference at Jammu on Friday.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 29: Reservation granted to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Panchayati Raj Institutions will empower the whole community, stated Sunil Prajapati, president, OBC Morcha, J&K BJP, while addressing a press conference here, today.
OBC Morcha, BJP, Jammu & Kashmir welcomed the decision to provide reservation to OBCs in Panchayati Raj Institutions as J&K Government has approved the amendment to J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989 extending reservation to OBCs in the elections of Halqa Panchayats.
The OBC Morcha celebrated this moment with joy and happiness and distributed sweets amongst their members present on the occasion. Sunil Prajapati, president OBC Morcha, Rashpal Verma, national secretary, BJP OBC Morcha, Brahm Jot Satti, Parbhari BJP OBC Morcha, J&K and other senior OBC leaders participated.
Sunil Prajapati, president of Morcha extended gratitude to the Union Government and the LG for considering the long pending demands of OBCs of J&K who were neglected by the previous Governments for three decades.
Prajapati said that this could be possible after the Union Government introduced OBC reservation in J&K UT replacing weak and under privileged classes (Social Caste)/OSC through J&K Reservation (Amendment) Bill 2023. For this, the Union Government fixed the date as 26 December 2023 for the implementation of OBC reservation in J&K UT, for which notification is expected very soon.
Thereafter all the future vacancies in J&K Government departments are expected to be advertised in accordance with the OBC reservation instead of Social Caste/OSC.
There are around 4300 Panchayats in the J&K UT and the reservation will be as per population in the Panchayats for election of Panchs and in block for the election of Sarpanchs. Therefore, as expected, 400 Sarpanchs will be elected from OBCs and accordingly the scenario in Assembly election will also be changed with reservation to OBCs in the Panchayati Raj Institutions. It is also expected that an amendment in Municipality Act 2002 will also be considered shortly to extend reservation to OBCs in the elections of Municipalities.