Jammu, Mar 15: The government on Saturday revealed stark regional disparities in the issuance of reservation benefits with the Jammu division receiving a far greater share compared to Kashmir.
Responding to a question from People’s Conference legislator Sajad Lone, Minister for Education, Health, Medical Education, and Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo said that 67,112 Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates were issued in Jammu division from April 1, 2023, to date, while no such certificate issued in Kashmir division.
Under the Scheduled Tribe category, 4,59,493 certificates were issued in the Jammu division against 79,813 in the Kashmir division.
The government said that 268 villages in the Jammu division benefited under the ALC category compared to 16 in the Kashmir division.
Similarly, under the IB category, 551 villages received benefits in the Jammu region, while there were no such beneficiaries in all 10 districts of Kashmir.
Under the RBA category, the ratio of beneficiaries is nearly the same with 1379 villages in the Jammu division receiving benefits, while 1229 villages benefited in the Kashmir division.
Again, the number of individuals who received EWS certificates is significantly higher in the Jammu division, with 27,420 certificates issued compared to 2273 in the Kashmir division.
According to the government, there are 41 communities and classes under the OBC list of J&K.
Lone, who was not present in the House, termed the figures “a shocker”.
Taking to X, he posted in capital letters, “THIS IS A SHOCKER. REGIONALLY – LOSS DUE TO RESERVATIONS MUCH HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED.”
Sharing the figures, Lone wrote that the net loss of quotas to the Kashmiri-speaking population was of a much higher scale than they had thought.
“The whole reservation concept is rigged against the Kashmiri-speaking population and against ST or EWS living in Kashmir. Even the ST population living in Kashmir is a net loser. They make up a meagre 15 percent of the total applicants from the ST pool,” he posted.
Lone posted that while the number of RBA villages is nearly the same, it is lower when adjusted for population.
“Kashmir population is approximately 7 percent more. And areas under RBA are almost the same proportionately. Yet in number terms, they are behind Jammu,” he posted.
