Chairman soon for J-K Commission for Backward Classes: govt

Jammu and Kashmir government today said it would soon appoint a Chairman for the State Commission for Backward Classes to resolve all the pending issues regarding backward areas.
"The government will appoint Chairman J-K State Commission for Backward Classes shortly and all the pending issues regarding backward areas will be sought out.
"The genuine demands for declaring backward areas in the state will be looked into on priority," Minister for Social Welfare Sajjad Gani Lone said.
The minister was replying to a question by Congress MLA Mohammad Amin Bhat in the Legislative Assembly.
Lone said the government has adopted specific criteria or parameters for declaring any area as 'backward' through J-K State Commission for backward classes.

He said the section-11 (1) of the J-K State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1997 provides that government may at any time, and shall, at the expiry of 10 years from coming into force of this Act and every succeeding period of 10 years thereafter, undertake revision of the lists with a view to exclude from such lists those classes who have ceased to be backward or for including new backward classes.
He said the exercise is a continuous process and shall be undertaken in consultation with backward classes commission at an appropriate time depending upon the improvement of indicators in already notified areas.