SRINAGAR: Peopleโs Conference (PC) Chief and Handwara legislator Sajad Lone has strongly criticized the current reservation framework, arguing that it disproportionately disadvantages Kashmir.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Lone asserted, โKashmir as a region is severely lagging behind. The scale of quota loss for the Kashmiri-speaking populace is far greater than we had anticipated. The entire reservation system is biased against the Kashmiri-speaking community and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) or Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) residing in Kashmir.โ
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Highlighting the disparity, he added, โEven the ST community in Kashmir is at a significant loss. They constitute a mere 15% of the total applicants within the ST category. The situation with the Resident of Backward Area (RBA) category is nearly identical, but when adjusted for population, the disparity becomes evident. The population of Kashmir is approximately 7% higher, and yet, despite having a similar proportion of RBA-designated areas, Kashmir lags behind Jammu in absolute numbers.โ
Lone further criticized the delay in addressing these concerns, pointing out that a government-appointed committee, set up on December 10, 2024, to assess grievances related to the issue, has no fixed deadline for submitting its findings. โWe were initially told the timeframe was six months,โ he noted.
Previously, the Jammu and Kashmir administration disclosed that the cabinet sub-committee tasked with reviewing reservation policies had not been assigned a definitive timeline for its report.
Sharing data on category certificates issued across Jammu and Kashmir since April 1, 2023, Lone called the figures โdeeply concerning,โ emphasizing that the extent of regional loss due to reservations was even more severe than expected.
The figures he revealed indicate a stark imbalance:
โขScheduled Caste (SC) Certificates: Jammu issued 67,112 (100%), while Kashmir issued none (0%).
โขScheduled Tribe (ST) Certificates: Jammu issued 459,493 (85.3%), while Kashmir issued 79,813 (14.7%).
โขEconomically Weaker Section (EWS) Certificates: Jammu issued 27,420 (92.3%), while Kashmir issued 2,273 (7.7%).
โขActual Line of Control (ALC) Certificates: Jammu issued 268 (94.3%), while Kashmir issued 16 (5.7%).
โขInternational Border (IB) Certificates: Jammu issued 551 (100%), while Kashmir issued none (0%).
โขResident of Backward Area (RBA) Certificates: Jammu issued 1,379 (52.8%), while Kashmir issued 1,229 (48.2%).
Loneโs remarks have reignited debate over regional disparities in reservation policies, with calls for a more equitable distribution of benefits across Jammu and Kashmir.
