Reservation rules: No deadline set for review panel yet, says J&K govt

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday informed the legislative assembly that no specific timeline has been fixed for the three-member cabinet sub-committee, which was formed last year to look into grievances against the present reservation policy in the Union Territory.

The information was given by Sakeena Itoo, the minister in-charge social welfare, in a written reply to a starred question by Peoples Conference legislator Sajad Gani Lone in the House.

The cabinet sub-committee headed by Itoo with ministers Satish Sharma and Javed Rana as its members was constituted in December last year and is going to submit its report to the council of ministers headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Reservation has become a major issue in Jammu and Kashmir following the Central government's decision to add more communities to the reserved category and expand quotas in the UT over the past five years. There are increasing objections to the Centre's move to push the reservation quota to 70 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Cabinet Sub Committee stands constituted vide Government order No. 2061- JKGAD of 2024, dated 10.12. 2024 to examine the grievances projected by a section of aspirants for various posts regarding reservation rules. However, no specific timeline has been fixed for submitting the report, the minister said in response to Lone, who had asked whether a six months time period had been granted to the panel to review the existing reservation policy.

Itoo said that a total of 5,39,306 Scheduled Tribe population 4,59,493 in Jammu division and 79,813 in Kashmir division -- have obtained ST certificates in the last two years effective from April 2023, while 67,112 certificates have been issued to scheduled caste population of Jammu region during the same period.

The minister said 1,379 villages in Jammu and 1,229 villages in Kashmir have benefited under Reserved Backward Area (RBA), while 551 villages of Jammu zone have benefited under International Border category. Similarly, 268 villages in Jammu and 16 in Kashmir have benefited under Actual line of Control (ALC) category.

The government has also issued 27,420 certificates to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in Jammu division and 2,273 certificates to EWS in Kashmir valley in the past two years, effective from April 1, 2023.