Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 28: West Pakistani Hindu Refugee Front (WPHRF) J&K has expressed concern over the Amendment in Panchayati Raj Rules of J&K UT regarding reservations in District Development Councils (DDCs) in Jammu district.
In a handout Front Chairman, Madan Lal Dubgotra said amendment to Panchayati Raj Rules regarding reservation of DDCs is discriminatory and injustice with people of general and OBC categories.
He claimed that 36 per cent DDCs have been reserved in Jammu district for SCs against 15 per cent as prescribed in the Constitution.
Dubgotra further said that five DDCs-Arnia, Bishnah, Marh, Miran Sahib and R.S Pura have been reserved for SC and Women (SC) out of total 14 DDCs in Jammu district.
He also said that R.S Pura DDC which is an existing Assembly constituency is reserved for SC category for 27 years since 1993.
“This DDC has not been rotated in the final delimitation of DDCs but was again retained as SC reserved DDC vide a notification which is very unfair and injustice with open and OBC category people of R.S Pura DDC,” the Front leader maintained.
He also claimed that as per amendment to Panchayati Raj Rules by J&K UT Government making provisions for the reservation for SCs, STs and Women in DDC, the OBC category has been ignored while in other States reservation has been provided to OBC category people in Panchayati Raj elections as per Constitutional provisions.
Dubgotra said that OBCs in district Jammu, Samba and Kathua comprise of large number of West Pakistani Refugees who migrated from Pakistan in 1947 during partition and were always neglected by the previous J&K Governments for over 70 years due Articles 370 and 35-A.
He also said that Supreme Court of India has also upheld the reservation for OBC category in Panchayati Raj elections.
The Front Chairman urged upon the J&K LG and the Central Government to consider the reservation for OBC category in Panchayati Raj elections.
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