Department of Social Welfare, Jammu and Kashmir is adopting an indifferent approach towards and appears to be sitting over the proposal in respect of significant recommendations for much hyped issue of reservation to the inhabitants of the International Border. The proposal and the recommendations made by the State Commission for Backward classes are given no practical shape by even making some preliminary work over them. Issues like suitable modifications in the J &K Reservation Rules 2005 for restraining reservation under RBA or ALC to non deserving people, inclusion of 59 identified villages under RBA, reservation to Kolisas Gaddi Sippis, reservation to Bori and Yogi communities and host of issues continue too remain unaddressed .
The track trail from the Commission to the Social Welfare Department to the Law Department and then to the cabinet or State Administrative Council and finally to the Governor, is held up at the initial stage of the Department of Social Welfare as it has “found no time” so far to peruse the recommendations of the Commission and forwarding the same along with its recommendations and suggestions to the State Law Department. In September last , the Commission had formally recommended for benefits of reservation to people living in border areas within an area of zero to six kilometres from the International Border (IB) by amending the existing Rules. In other words, the fate of as many as three lac people living in villages numbering over 350 right from Kathua to Pargwal along the International Border is wrapped in uncertainty due to the apathetic approach of the Social Welfare Department. We urge to break this unwarranted inertia at the earliest.