No Timeline Set for J&K Cabinet Panel on Reservation Policy Review
Jammu, Mar 15, KNT: The Jammu and Kashmir government informed the Legislative Assembly on Saturday that no fixed timeline has been set for the three-member Cabinet Sub-Committee reviewing grievances against the existing reservation policy in the Union Territory.
Minister in charge of Social Welfare, Sakeena Itoo, disclosed this in a written reply to a starred question by Peoples Conference legislator Sajad Gani Lone. The sub-committee, formed in December last year, is headed by Itoo, with ministers Satish Sharma and Javed Rana as members. Its report will be submitted to the council of ministers led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The issue of reservations has sparked intense debate in J&K following the Centre’s decision to expand quotas and add more communities to the reserved category over the past five years. Many have raised concerns over the proposed increase in reservation quotas to 70%.
“The Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted via Government Order No. 2061-JKGAD of 2024, dated December 10, 2024, to examine grievances raised by aspirants regarding reservation rules. However, no specific timeline has been set for submitting the report,” Itoo stated in response to Lone’s query on whether the panel had been given six months for the review.
Providing data on reservation benefits, Itoo said that since April 2023, a total of 5,39,306 Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates have been issued—4,59,493 in Jammu division and 79,813 in Kashmir division. Additionally, 67,112 Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates were issued in Jammu region during the same period.
Under the Reserved Backward Area (RBA) category, 1,379 villages in Jammu and 1,229 in Kashmir have benefited. The International Border (IB) category has covered 551 villages in Jammu, while 268 villages in Jammu and 16 in Kashmir have been included under the Actual Line of Control (ALC) category.
Moreover, in the last two years, 27,420 certificates have been issued under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category in Jammu division, while 2,273 were issued in Kashmir valley.
With growing concerns over the expansion of reservations, the panel’s review is being closely watched, though uncertainty remains over when its recommendations will be finalized.
