Process set into motion for 8 pc reservation to Paharis Draft proposal sent to Law Deptt for opinion Posted on 01/02/2014 by Dailyexcelsior Nishikant Khajuria JAMMU, Sept 2: In a significant development, the State Government has set the process in motion for according reservation to Pahari speaking people in Jammu and Kashmir on the pattern of SC/ST and other categories under quota. A draft proposal in this regard suggesting total eight percent reservation to the community has been prepared by the J&K Social Welfare Department in consultation with the State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People and the same has been forwarded to the Law Department for its opinion, official sources informed the Excelsior. For accommodating the Pahari community within 50 percent maximum limit of total reservation, the draft proposal also suggests a cut in five percent reservation to RBA (Resident of Backward Area) category, sources added. The Law Department is studying the proposal, which will be discussed soon in a joint meeting with the Social Welfare Department and the Pahari Board for approval to send the same to State Cabinet for final nod, sources further said. Pertinent to mention here that the Pahari speaking people, who comprise around eight percent population of Jammu and Kashmir, have been consistently demanding reservation in Government jobs and professional colleges on the pattern of other communities under reserved categories. Even as all the major political parties of J&K are unanimous over according reservation to Paharis, the demand is being opposed by some Gujjar leaders on technical grounds with apprehensions that the move could harm their interests. However, according to the sources, while recommending eight percent reservation for the Paharis, the proposal does not suggest any decrease in the quota for any other category except RBA. According to the draft proposal, the existing quota of 20 percent to RBA will be reduced to 15 percent with the granting of eight percent reservation to Pahari speaking people as more than 50 percent of the community is already being covered under this category. The Pahari speaking people are residing in Poonch, Rajouri, Karnah and Uri. While both Karnah and Uri are fully covered under RBA category, 117 out of total 380 villages of Rajouri and 36 out of 172 villages in Poonch come under this grouping for reservation benefits. In Jammu and Kashmir, total 43 percent quota is presently reserved for different categories, which included RBA (20 percent), Scheduled Castes (8 percent), Scheduled Tribes (10 percent), Actual Line of Control (3 percent) and Other Social Castes (2 percent). Once approved, the eight percent quota to Paharis and a cut in 5 percent for RBA would increase the total reservation to 46 percent, which will be still four percent less than the maximum limit, sources explained. When contacted, Kafil-ur-Rehman, Vice-Chairman of State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People, confirmed that the process has been set into motion for eight percent reservation to Pahari speaking people in Jammu and Kashmir and a joint meeting of the Pahari Board, Social Welfare and Law Departments would be held within days for giving final shape to the draft, which will be sent to the State Cabinet for its final nod.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:42:49 +0000
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