Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, July 10: Three months after the Legislative Council witnessed massive furore during Budget session over the ‘mal-functioning’ of the State Commission for Backward Classes, the body has failed to act on representations made by several Legislators of Congress – National Conference (NC), on behalf of people residing in several backward areas.
Legislators belonging to the ruling coalition have unanimously alleged that the delay in acting on representations, was depriving several areas of the much needed succor. “Several of these areas were even lacking the basic amenities like road connectivity, power supply and schools and repeated representations had been made before the Commission during the past several years for inclusion into the Backward Area category”, they asserted.
NC Legislator Javed Ahmad Rana from Mendhar while castigating the Commission said, “for the last 10 years, we have been writing to Commission for including these villages in the Resident of Backward Area (RBS) category, but nothing has been done. 80 % of Mendhar areas are backward and similar is the situation of several others areas of Rajouri and Poonch district”.
“There is standing Government order that all Government officials are bound constitutionally to reply to our letters as Legislators represent the voice of people. But, despite writing several letters to the Commission highlighting the grievances of backward areas, I never even got a reply”, he said, adding, “it has also come to our notice that while deserving areas have been left, others have been declared backward on different considerations”.
Echoing similar views, Congress MLC from Poonch, Jehangir Mir said, “there are several areas, which are economically backward and even lack road connectivity. Residents of these areas have also submitted their pleas before the Commission and we have also approached the body. But, despite several requests, nothing has happened on ground”.
Panthers Party MLA and Chairman Harshdev Singh, while commenting on the issue said, “I along with several Legislators have raised the issue several times in the Legislative Assembly. Several areas in Jammu province and Doda region in particular qualified for being declared as backward, but the Commission hasn’t done anything in this direction”, adding, “Doda has only 5% of road connectivity while Kashmir province has almost 80% of road connectivity. Even the Rangarajan Committee had recommended that special incentives be provided to these backward areas, but nothing has happened”.
Airing similar views, NC Legislator, Khalid Najeeb Suhrawardy from Doda said, “I have personally made several representations before the Commission, but all my efforts have gone in vain. Several areas of the erstwhile Doda district lacked even the basic amenities, but they haven’t been declared backward”.
Congress Legislator, Ravinder Sharma commented, “the issue of the working of Backward Commission was raised by all Legislators cutting across party lines and they were all critical over the working of the institution”, adding, “the Act provides that the Commission should after every 10 years review the areas, which were earlier declared backward as over the years, they have developed in all respects. Besides, the Commission should include more areas, which deserved to be declared backward”.
Minister for Social Welfare, Sakina Ittoo, when contacted told EXCELSIOR, “the Commission had now been made fully functional and it will be deciding on all the representations submitted before it in due course of time. The Commission makes visits to all these areas before taking any decision in this regard”.
The Social Welfare Minister had also confessed during the recently concluded Budget session, while replying to a question of National Conference Legislator, Sheikh Ghulam Rasool that nearly 1700 applications were pending with the State Backward Commission for consideration.
Chairman of the Commission Justice (Retd) A M Mir said, “the Commission is functioning with its full strength and four new members have also been nominated. The members of the Commission visit the places personally and then make assessment of various parameters associated with the area like literacy, road connectivity, agriculture land, per capita income, etc”.
“After evaluating all of these factors, the Commission recommends that a particular area be notified as backward. The recommendations of the body are binding on the Government and therefore, we carefully scruitinise all the factors before coming to any conclusion”, he said.
State Government had constituted the Commission for Backward Classes in the year 1995 in pursuance to Apex Courts Judgment in Indra Sawhney case of 1992. The Commission unanimously or with a majority vote has powers to resolve that the village/ area qualified for its inclusion in the list as defined under Section 2(d) of the J&K State Commission for Backward Class Act 1997 read along with Section 2(0) of J&K Reservation Act, 2004 and recommends cases to the Government for its inclusion In the list of Backward area/Class. Thereafter, the Government formally vide notification declares the area/village as socially and educationally backward and includes it in backward class.
The business rules of the Commission state that the State Government would act on the recommendations of the Commission if a proposal is supported by two-third members.
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