Seeks reservation of two Legislative Assembly seats each in Jammu, Kashmir valley for Sikhs; two LA seats for Jatts in Jammu region
GNS ONLINE JAMMU
JAMMU, AUGUST 06 :– Apni Party Provincial President, Jammu, and Former Minister, S. Manjit Singh has raised serious concern over unnecessary delay in complete implementation of Forest Right Act and granting of 27% reservation to the OBC community in Jammu and Kashmir even after four years after the abrogation of Art 370 and Art 35A from the erstwhile State.
Addressing a press conference here at Apni Party Office in Gandhi Nagar, Jammu; the Former Minister S. Manjit Singh the Govt had promised that the marginalized section of society, OBC, tribals, and other forest dwellers would get benefits under the constitution since they termed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as an obstacle in the implement of all the central laws.
However, these laws were still not implemented in Jammu and Kashmir except those which were suitable to the Govt, he added.
“Before the abrogation of special status, the people were promised that OBC will get 27% reservation in Jammu and Kashmir. However, four years have passed yet OBCs have yet to get 27% even after four years,” he said, while criticizing the Govt.
He said that these promises remained unfulfilled and the OBC community which is spread in a vast area of Jammu and Kashmir has been deprived of what they deserve as per the constitution.
Therefore, the Govt should focus on the fulfilment of the promises made with the OBC community for their social, economic and political upliftment.
He also referred to the growing concerns of the Tribals, and other forest dwellers in J&K who were promised that they would be given right on the forest land under Forest Right Act in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Art 370 and Art 35A.
“With much pump and show, the Forest Right Act (FRA) was implemented on papers in J&K, and accordingly, the committees were constituted. Unfortunately, these committees did not implement the FRA on the ground because they did not give FRA rights to the tribals or the other forest dwellers despite getting all the documentary records. Thus, the tribals, and forest dwellers were deprived of their constitutional right to use the forest land for their livelihood and for their cattles,” he said.
He further stated that the delaying tactics has given rise to the resentment among the OBCs, and Tribals/Forest Dwellers because the promises which were made to them before August 5, 2019 remained unfulfilled and these people feel cheated by the Govt.”
He said that “The uneasiness and feeling of alienation among the people is growing because the Govt implemented only those laws and schemes in J&K following the abrogation of Art 370 and Art 35A which were suitable to them and ignored other constitutional rights which could be beneficial for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
He questioned the Govt. what is stopping them from implementing the remaining central laws in Jammu and Kashmir which could be beneficial for all the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Therefore, he demanded that the Govt should implement all the central laws in Jammu and Kashmir so that the people can get the benefits.
He also referred to concerns of SC/ST/OBC Govt Employees who have been denied reservation in promotion in their respective services in Govt sectors. “The reservation of SC/ST/OBC should be considered in J&K in promotion of the said reserved categories,” he added.
In all these four years, he said that the present Govt had given assurances to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for development, employment, end to regional discrimination, and effective implementation of developmental projects, promotion of tourism, investment from across the country, industrialization, generation of employment at local level and other such things were promised following the abrogation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also said that the people of J&K were desperately waiting for the holding of Assembly Elections and restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir that was assured on the floor of the Parliament of India to the people of this state.
“Four years have passed, and a peaceful atmosphere is being claimed in both the regions. Accordingly, the PRIs, and Urban Local Bodies elections are being planned, yet the schedule for Assembly Elections is nowhere in sight,” he said expressing deep concern over the unruly delay in the holding of polls that was promised to the people.
He also demanded that the two Legislative Assembly seats should be reserved each in Jammu as well as in Kashmir regions for Sikh community for their political representation in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that the Punjabi language should also be recognized in J&K as one of the official languages by the Govt. “The Punjabi language is being spoken in Jammu plains, and all the communities. The language has literature, and rich culture that needs to be preserved and promoted by the Govt,” he said.
Meanwhile, he demanded two Legislative Assembly seats for Jatts in Jammu region as Jatt dominated areas have been reserved.
“Jatts should be given representation in Legislative Assembly. Therefore, two LA seats should be reserved for them in Jammu region,” he added.
He said that these people have become the victims of babus and bureaucracy has become more powerful in the last four years than the elected representatives, even PRIs, BDC, DDCs, or former legislators or ex-ministers.
“They do not consult the elected representatives whenever a plan is made at the ground level for the people. If any developmental project is requested by the public representatives to authorities include in annual plan for the development of lanes, drains, providing of clean drinking water, providing of electricity, cleanliness, cleaning of canals, providing of canal water to the tale-end villages and protection of natural resources at the village level; their demands are not considered and the bureaucracy works in a wayward manner,” he said.
He said that many such instances have come to the fore in past four years when people came on the roads against the autocratic rule of the Govt officials and one such examples is unilateral eviction drives in which poor people were removed from the possession of their land and they were made homeless, and agricultural land was snatched which they had for centuries in Jammu as well as in Kashmir regions.
“These anti-people policies and grab of natural resources by the outsiders has given rise to the feeling of alienation that could not be addressed even today despite strong resentment and suspicion among the locals that their jobs at private sector is also being taken over by the outsiders even in power projects, and industrial sectors,” he said, demanding reservation of jobs in industrial sector for local youth in both skilled and unskilled up to 90 percent across Jammu and Kashmir.
He vehemently demanded that the Govt of India should not delay holding Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir as the situation is peaceful and people are not ready to accept the ongoing LG administration.
“The LG administration has sidelined the local JKAS/JKPS officers and engaged outsiders and these outsider IAS officers are holding multiple department’s charge even as the JKAS officers deserve to be given adequate quota of departments to make the functioning of administration smoother,” he added.
He said that those who were inducted into the IAS / IPS cadre from JKAS/JKPS should be given independent charge of important departments in J&K Govt so that they can establish lost connection with the local population and a gap that is widening for the last four years, could be fulfilled.
Similarly, he demanded strict action against the mining mafia that has gained upper hand in Jammu as well as in Kashmir resulting in to the unemployment of thousands of families and this mafia is working in connivance with the Mining Department due to which the minerals are extracted to the level that the bridges at Tarnah and Chakra pillars have become unsafe for the commuters/heavy traffic in Kathua district.
“If we did not put curb on the illegal activities of the mining mafia and provide contract to the local contracts for extraction of minerals, the situation seems to be going from bad to worse with apprehensions that the people in Jammu and Kashmir would come on the road in protest the exploitation of resources by the outsiders,” he said.
He further stated that “We do not support liquor business. However, the business was in the hands of Jammu’s local liquor traders that had not been given to the outsiders. Now we find liquor shops in every nook and corner and this policy should be revisited and liquor shops should not be allowed in all the areas close to schools, and religious places. In contrast, we have witnessed violation of all the set norms, and there is no curb on this practice.”
He also demanded strict action against the increasing drug addiction, and drug smuggling that has given rise to the crime like snatching and theft in Jammu, Samba, Kathua districts.
He further highlighted the concerns of the job aspirants who appeared in the written exams and interviews, but these recruitments turned into major scams.
“Although we appreciate Govt action, it was not appropriate to cancel the entire list and not conduct the re-exams of the aspirants within the shortest time on fast track bases so that they do not become overaged. However, the Govt does not seem serious enough to investigate the demands of the job aspirants and hence, they continue to hold protests,” he said.
He further demanded age-relaxation for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir applying for different jobs inside the J&K, or Central Govt.
“The youth of J&K should be given upper age five years of age relaxation in UPSC, JKPSC, JKSSB and other such exams conducted for the Govt jobs,” he demanded, while appealing to the Govt to advertise all the vacant posts and conduct recruitment on fast track bases.
He also demanded on-spot recruitment for the youth in border areas of Jammu region in J&K Police, paramilitary and Indian Army.
Referring to the development in urban, and rural areas, he said that both these areas remained far away from the developmental plans of the administration with no elected Govt in place.
“The rural areas are among the worst hit where the people suffer because of poor health, education, electricity, clean drinking water, road connectivity, relief at the time of any natural disaster etc,” he said and added that the situation is no different in towns, and cities.
He said that online Govt services were provided for speedy disposal of works and bring transparency, but it has a gap among the people and the administration.
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