Injustice with IB people undone: Dr Jitendra
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 28: The Union Cabinet today amended a Clause of contentious Article 370, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, for giving reservation in promotion benefits to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and approved State Government proposals to accord 10 percent reservations to Economically Weaker Sections among General categories and three percent reservations to the people living on the International Border (IB) along with the people of Line of Control (LoC) in Government jobs and educational institutions.
The decisions were taken at the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
All three Ordinances have to be promulgated by the President of India as the State was under President’s rule.
Official sources said the Cabinet approved the order for giving reservation benefits to Economically Weaker Sections and for promotion in Government jobs to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir.
“It will serve the purpose of application of relevant provisions of the Constitution of India, as amended through the Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Constitution (One hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir by issuing the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019 by the President under Clause (I) of Article 370,” sources said.
The order, they said, now has to be promulgated by the President.
“Once notified by the President, the order will pave the way for giving benefit of promotion in services to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and also extend the reservations up to 10 per cent for Economically Weaker Sections among General Categories in educational institutions and Government jobs in addition to the existing reservation in Jammu and Kashmir,” a Government order said.
“As 10 percent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections have been made applicable in J&K also, this would facilitate reserving State Government jobs to the youth of J&K who are from economically weaker sections belonging to any religion or caste. It may be recalled that 10 percent reservation to economically weaker sections was introduced in rest of the country through the 103rd Constitution Amendment in January 2019. This will be in addition to such reservation available in the Government of India jobs also,” the order said.
It added that benefit of promotion to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which include Gujjars and Bakerwals among others, has also been made applicable to the State of J&K. After a long wait of 24 years, the 77th Constitution Amendment of 1995 has now been applied to the State of J&K
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet today also approved the proposal of Jammu &Kashmir Government to issue “The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019′ by the President of India providing for amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 to bringing persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border within the ambit of reservation at par with persons living in areas adjoining Line of Control (LoC).
“People living near the International Border have been brought at par with those living near the Line of Control for reservation in State Government jobs by amending the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 through an Ordinance. Earlier, the provision of 3 percent reservation was available only for youth living within six kilometers of LoC in J&K. Now, this provision will be applicable for people living near the international border also. This has been a long-pending demand of the population living near the international border, as they have been facing the brunt of cross border firing in J&K,” an official order said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 and Rules there under namely The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005 provide for vertical reservation in direct recruitment, promotions and admission in different professional courses to various categories viz. Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (Residents of Backward Area (RBA), Residents of Areas adjoining Line of Control (LoC) and Weak and Under Privileged Classes (Social Castes) along with horizontal reservation to the Ex-Serviceman and Physically Challenged Persons. However, the reservation benefits are not extended to the persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border.
“Due to continuous cross border tensions, persons living alongside International Border suffer from socio-economic and educational backwardness. Shelling from across the border often compels these residents to move to safer places and is adversely impacting their education as Educational Institutions remain closed for long periods. Hence, it was felt justifiable to extend the reservation benefits to persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border on the similar lines of the persons living in areas adjoining Line of Control (LoC),” the Government order said.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending reservations to the people living on the International Border, which was a long pending demand of the people.
“Injustice of several years meted out to the people of the International Border by the previous Government has been undone by the Modi Government,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
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