Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, July 4: Pahari Tribe ST Forum submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister (PM) of India through Deputy Commissioner Poonch regarding granting of due ST status to the Pahari Tribe at the earliest.
Deputy Commissioner Poonch Inderjeet received the memorandum and assured the delegation that the document in original shall be submitted to the desired office without any delay. ACR Poonch Zaheer Kaifi also assured to forward the same.
Pertinent to mention that recently J&K Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission has submitted its interim and supplementary reports to the Government on reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Paharis community. A final call is now expected to be taken shortly by the J&K Government followed by the Union Home Ministry after which the issue of reservations will go to the Parliament.
This is well assumed that the Paharis are likely to get the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status which will make them eligible for political reservations too as the Delimitation Commission has reserved 10 per cent seats in the Legislative Assembly of 90 constituencies for STs.
Final report is yet to be given by the Commission which was set up in March 2020 with two-year term to finalize recommendations. However, it has submitted an interim and supplementary report to J&K Government.
Those who were the part of delegation include Iftikhar Ahmed Bazmi (executive member of PT ST Forum), Naresh Pal Verma (Naib Sarpanch Mangnar), Dr Rahul Khajuria, Thakur Surya Partap, Nischal Sharm, Dr Nitin Sharma, Sayed Nusrat Shah Kazmi, Advocate Bhanu Partap and Advocate Sanjeev Kumar Sharma.
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