Government rolls out 10 per cent poor quota in J&K

New Delhi: Just days before the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, the Union Cabinet on Thursday rolled out 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in educational institutions and government jobs and approved the benefit of promotion in service to the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes in strife-ridden Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The new reservations will come in addition to existing quotas in the state.

The President will have to promulgate an ordinance for giving reservation benefits to SCs and STs by amending a clause of the contentious Article 370, which gives special status to the state.

The Centre also announced that an ordinance will be promulgated to bring people residing in areas adjoining the international border within the ambit of reservation on a par with those living in areas adjoining the Actual Line of Control, in a move aimed at reaching out to the Jammu region.

The move comes at a time of heightened tension on border and India’s strike against JeM terror camps across LoC.

The ordinance also provides for amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, to bring persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border within the ambit of the reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs which is currently available only to people living in areas adjoining Line of Control (LoC) in the state, official sources said.

It is important to mention here that the reservation meant for individuals belonging to economically-weaker sections among general category covers those having annual salary below Rs 8 lakh and those who possess less than 5 acres of agriculture land. Now people residing in J&K under this category will also be covered under it.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley informed media persons after a three-hour long meeting of the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that the Centre has cleared the proposal of Jammu & Kashmir government to issue “The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019”. The ordinance will have to be promulgated by the President.

Under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, people living near the LoC are entitled to three per cent reservation in jobs and colleges. Now, this quota will also cover people living near the international border.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, provide for  reservation in direct recruitment, promotions and admission in different professional courses to various categories like SCs, STs, socially and educationally backward classes residents of backward areas (RBA), residents of areas adjoining LoC.

Due to continuous cross border tensions, persons living along international border suffer from socio-economic and educational backwardness, official sources said.

Shelling from across the border often compels these residents to move to safer places and adversely impacts their education as institutions remain closed for long periods, they added.