Monitor News Desk
Srinagar: The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have granted four lakh domicile certificates in just over a month, even as government has asked Tehsildars to complete the process of issuance in two days, reports said on Friday.
Pawan Kotwal, Principal Secretary, Revenue Department J&K was quoted saying by The Tribune on Friday: “So far, over four lakhs domicile certificates have been granted to the applicants. Though a period of 15 days has been fixed for issuing a certificate to an applicant, yet we have asked all revenue officers, including Tehsildars, to complete the process within two days.”
A report by The Indian Express, however, said 3.7 lakh certificates had been issued so far with 2.9 lakh of them in Jammu division and the rest 79, 300 in Kashmir.
The Express report said that majority of the recipients are already permanent resident of Jammu and Kashmir.
It added that among those who have received domicile certificates are West Pakistan refugees, numbering over 20,000, nearly all of whom are reportedly covered now, and 2,000-odd sanitation workers brought and settled in the state but never accorded basic rights like voting.
“They were denied citizenship and hence access to education and jobs,” the Express quoted an MHA official, adding that 700 Gurkhas too have been provided domicile certificates.
As per the new rules that came into force in May this year, people who have been living in J&K for 15 years, those who have studied in the Union territory for seven years, or appeared in Class 10 or 12 examination from an educational institution in the region, as well as their children, are eligible for domicile. Also eligible are children of officials of the Central government, all India services, banks and PSUs, statutory bodies and Central universities, who have served in J&K for 10 years.
Besides, all Permanent Resident Certificate holders are automatically eligible.
