Jammu, February 06: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said today is a historic day for Jammu Kashmir as Lok Sabha cleared the Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to grant ST status to Paharis, Padari Tribes, Koli & Gadda Brahmin.
“A historic day for Jammu Kashmir! Lok Sabha has cleared the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to grant scheduled tribe status to Paharis, Padari Tribes, Koli & Gadda Brahmin, fulfilling the long pending demand of these communities,” he posted on X.
He said under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the government has ensured inclusion of these communities in the Scheduled Tribes list will have no impact on the current level of reservations available to Gujjars, Bakarwals& other tribes & they will continue to get reservation like before.
After the bill is cleared in Rajya Sabha, the UT administration will issue necessary notifications ensuring that the people included in the existing list of Scheduled Tribes continue to get the same level of reservation.
“The UT administration is committed to building a J&K that focuses on balanced development and benefits all sections of society with the Mantra of inclusive development. I also appeal to the people and community elders to discharge their responsibilities well and counter any misinformation being spread by miscreants on level of reservation to the communities, “ he said.
“I reiterate that the inclusion of new communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes will not impact the current level of reservations available to the existing Scheduled Tribe communities such as Gujjars and Bakarwals”.
Earlier Lok Sabha passed a bill to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes in local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, with the government asserting that important changes have taken place in the Union territory since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
Replying to a brief debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill-2024, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have started enjoying the fruits of development ushered in by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Currently, there is no provision for reservation of seats for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The bill seeks to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir and bring consistency in the local body laws of the Union territory with the provisions of the Constitution.
“With this, justice will be ensured to the citizens of Other Backward Classes of Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after 75 years of independence,” according to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill.
In his reply to the discussion on the bill in the Lok Sabha, Rai said he did not refer to the opposition’s demand for the government to spell out a time frame for holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the restoration of statehood.
Rai said the opposition members, participating in the debate, were resorting to a drama of supporting the bill granting reservation to OBCs in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir and were raising other issues.
“I wish to make one thing clear, no matter how much you go around in circles, but in Jammu and Kashmir wherever you go you will only hear ‘Modi, Modi’ and the development ushered in by Modi,” the Minister said.
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