Over 5.26 Lakh ST/SC Certificates Issued in Jammu, 67,000 in Kashmir; Disparities Noted in EWS and ALC/IB/RBA Categories
Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu,(DD): The Jammu and Kashmir government has clarified that no specific timeline has been set for the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) tasked with reviewing reservation rules.
In response to a question from Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Gani Lone, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itto informed the House that while the CSC was constituted on December 10, 2024, no deadline has been fixed for submitting its report. The committee is examining concerns raised by aspirants regarding reservation policies.
The minister also provided data on reservation certificates issued since April 1, 2023. In Jammu, over 5.26 lakh Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates have been issued, compared to approximately 67,000 in Kashmir. Similarly, 27,000 certificates under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category were granted in Jammu, whereas only 2,273 were issued in Kashmir.
Regarding reservation benefits under Actual Line of Control (ALC), International Border (IB), and Reserved Backward Area (RBA) categories, 2,198 villages in Jammu have been covered, compared to 1,245 in Kashmir.
The figures highlight notable regional differences in the issuance of reservation-related certificates, which could shape future discussions on policy implementation in Jammu and Kashmir.(DD)