10K apply, over 3200 granted domicile certificates in five Kashmir districts

Srinagar: More than 3,200 domicile certificates have been issued in five districts of Kashmir.

Data accessed by The Kashmir Monitor reveals that around 10,000 applications have been received by the government for domicile certificates. More than 3200 people have been granted certificates in five districts so far.

The highest number of 1433 domicile certificates has been issued in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Nearly 5200 applications have been received by the government in the district.

This is followed by the south Kashmir’s Kulgam district where around 900 certificates have been issued so far. Around 1500 people have applied for the certificates in the district.

Around 400 certificates have been issued in the Pulwama district. The government has received 1290 applications from people in the district.

In the Ganderbal district, around 1700 people have applied for the domicile certificate. Over 330 certificates have been issued certificates so far.

Around 210 certificates have been issued in Bandipora district. So far, 500 applications have been received in the district.

Data related to Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla, Shopian, and Anantnag could not be collected as the district development commissioners of the districts did not respond to the repeated calls and the messages from The Kashmir Monitor for the last five days.

Domicile certificates have been granted under new domicile rules introduced by the Centre in March. The rules were notified on May 18.

According to J&K Grant Domicile Certificate (Production) Rules, anyone who has lived in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 15 years or studied there for seven years or written Class 10 or 12 board examinations in a school can apply for a certificate.

The certificate allows non-locals to get a residency certificate for education, employment, and buying land in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

On June 26, a domicile certificate of senior J&K cadre IAS officer from Bihar, Navin Kumar Choudhary went viral. Choudhary had been listed as one among 25,000 people who have been granted a domicile certificate in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.