Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 2: Enraged over the neglect of Koli community while granting 3% reservation to Pahari speaking people in Govt jobs despite repeated assurances, NPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh lambasted the BJP-PDP alliance for ignoring the said community despite their legitimate claims for inclusion in the said category.
While hailing reservation in jobs to “Paharis”, he said that the Agenda of Alliance unambiguously stated in clause F of point no. 27, the commitment of the Govt to provide ST status and resultant reservation to “Paharis” and “Kolis”, but the latter were blatantly disregarded as the said tribe wholly belonged to Jammu region as against former who predominantly inhabited Kashmir region with some belts in Rajouri and Poonch.
Speaking to the media, Harsh Dev said that BJP-PDP had promised job reservations and the grant of ST status to Paharis and Kolis during their election campaigns and had subsequently incorporated the same in the Agenda of Alliance. He, however, regretted that whereas the Paharis were granted 3% reservation by amending the J&K Reservation Act during the recent Assembly session, no initiative was taken thereafter, by any of the Paharis to rake up the issue during the said session of the Legislative Assembly. He said that the Koli community largely inhabit in district Udhampur, Kathua, Doda and Ramban, with all the elected representatives belonging to BJP from the said areas. He, however, regretted that not a single MLA of the said area promoted their cause in the Assembly or outside while granting reservations to Paharis who predominantly inhabit district Baramulla and Kupwara of Kashmir valley.
NPP leader said that the reservations in Govt jobs and grant of ST status to Kolis was forcefully projected by him during the proceedings of ‘PM’s Working Group of which he was a member and the said group had endorsed the said demand.
Flaying the callous attitude of the concerned authorities towards the most legitimate demand of the said community, Harsh Dev said that the grant of ST status to Kolis has been recommended by various Deputy Commissioners on the report sought by the State Govt but the much needed decision in respect of the said recommendations is still awaited.
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