Govt likely to submit replies on Governor’s queries in 2-3 days

Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Apr 4: The Department of Law in conformity with the Social Welfare Department is likely to submit the State Government’s response very soon on the queries raised by Governor N N Vohra on the two crucial Bills for quota to poor among unreserved categories and reservation for Pahari Speaking People in Jammu and Kashmir.
Authoritative sources told the Excelsior that the Government has   gathered all the required information for answer on the queries and  detailed replies on both the Bills may be submitted to the Governor’s Secretariat in next two-three day.
Minister for Law and Justice, Abdul Haq Khan is likely to meet Governor N N Vohra tomorrow at the Raj Bhawan for a discussion on the replies to be submitted by his Department after consultation with the Department of Social Welfare and the feed back provided by the J&K Commission for Backward Classes, sources added
The Minister for Social Welfare, Sajjad Gani Lone, who called on Vohra at the Raj Bhawan in Jammu and held a detailed discussion with him on number of issues, also confirmed to the Excelsior that response on the queries raised by the Governor would be submitted very soon.
“The issues raised by the Governor’s Secretariat would be appropriately addressed and  formal replies on the Bills are likely to be submitted   through the Department of Law in next two-three days,” he said.
Pertinent to mention that the Governor’s Secretariat has sought clarification on veracity of the claims and the Constitutional provision to substantiate the State Government’s move on extending reservation benefits to the Pahari Speaking People and economically backward among unreserved categories in Jammu and Kashmir.
The two Legislations, one for extending three percent reservation benefits to the Pahari Speaking People and other for six percent reservation to weaker and under privileged class of unreserved categories in the State, were sent to the Governor for his final nod after the State Legislative Assembly as well as the Legislative Council passed the Bills amending Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act   at the fag end of the recently held Budget Session of the Legislature.
In its communication vide No GS-28(Assent-Bill 018/18E, dated 28-03, 2018, to the Secretary, Department of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs,  with regard to queries on the Bill for reservation to poor, sources said that the Governor’s Secretariat has sought to know whether an attempt has ever been made to collect data regarding the actual number of families and the conditions/criteria to be taken into account for assessing  economic backwardness of the beneficiaries, which is proposed to be remedied by the provisions of the Bill.
Asking the Government to furnish copy of such report, the Governor has also asked whether any detailed study has been carried out to justify the requirement, if any, for the proposed legislation, especially in view of the fact that almost all socially and economically backward sections and backward areas of society in the State have been covered under the existing Reservation Policy.
Further, sources added, the Governor has also sought to know the legal basis of the proposed legislation when there is no provision in the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution to support such enactment.
With regard to the Bill on reservation for Pahari Speaking People, the Governor’s Secretary, vide communication No. GS-61 (JK-Amend) 2018/1349, dated 28-02-2018,   has written  to the Chief Secretary B B Vyas for submitting necessary comments of the State Government in respect of some objections  raised by an organization in its memorandum submitted to the Raj Bhawan.
According to the sources, draft replies with regard to the information sought by the Governor on both the Bills, are likely to be discussed by the J&K State Commission for the Backward Classes with the Law Department tomorrow at the Civil Secretariat, ahead of the Law Minister’s meeting with Mr Vohra.
After discussion with the Commission for Backward Classes and the Department of Social Welfare, formal replies for appropriately addressing all the issues raised by the Governor’s Secretariat are likely to be prepared by Friday for submission of the same on same day or a day after, source said.

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