Murmu govt working on new rules for domicile rights of J&K residents

TNN Bureau. Updated: 12/6/2019 2:03:13 AM Front Page

Exclusive rights to government jobs, land ownership in offing

Advisor Khan terms ‘new administrative division’ mere rumor
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JAMMU: In a bid to protect employment and land ownership rights for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution—which provided special status to them and safeguarded both among other thing, the Union Territory administration is now mulling to give exclusive domicile status to its residents.
While Kashmir Valley has remained united in its protest against the revocation of the special status of the erstwhile State since past four months, there is a significant demand among people and their representatives in Jammu region as well to extend domicile status to the residents.
The Centre has asserted, on occasions more than one, that lands and jobs in Jammu and Kashmir will remain with its people and if official sources are to believed, the Lieutenant Governor Girish Chander Murmu-led administration has decided to grant the same through exclusive domicile status.
“Keeping in view the huge unemployment among educated youth, the Union Territory administration is likely to give domicile rights to residents so that only they can apply for government jobs in J&K,” said a senior official on the request of anonymity.
"Domicile rights of residents of J&K would be protected with regard to employment in Union Territory government jobs and purchase/ownership of land. This concession is likely to be announced soon as work is underway to formulate the new rules regarding the domicile rights of J&K UT residents," he informed.
After revoking of Article 370 and 35A, both the parallel flag and Constitution of the state in addition to exclusive rights of permanent residents of J&K to buy or sell land were abolished.
There has been a growing demand, both in the Jammu region and the valley, that given the economic backwardness and huge unemployment in J&K, domicile rights of the residents must be protected.
This has been in addition to the demand for continuing the exclusive rights of local residents to apply for government jobs in the newly-carved out Union Territory.
It may be recalled that the BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh had assured soon after the abolition of special status that a domicile-like option will soon be suggested to Union government.
"Soon, we are going to propose a domicile-like option for Jammu and Kashmir. Their interests shall be protected. Like in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, agricultural land cannot be bought. This option is also in the mind of the Union government," Singh—who continued to remain as the speaker of legislative assembly till recently, had said on August 8.
"Only if someone wants to sell land, will it be bought. Fear has been created that all land will be usurped and outsiders will settle. I can assure this will not happen" he had said.
While confirming that domicile rights were in the offing for residents, the officials however did not comment as to how long the domicile rights would be protected in the new Union Territory.
Meanwhile, Farooq Khan, Advisor to Lt Governor, on Thursday termed rumors the report of UT administration’s ‘plans’ of carving out a new administrative division from existing regions in Jammu and Kashmir.
Over the past few days, there have been multiple reports that Murmu’s administration—now under direct control of New Delhi, is holding consultations to create a new division comprising at least three districts from Jammu division and three from Kashmir — all part of or surrounding the Pir-Panjal region, with a formal announcement likely in a month’s time.
The decision, the reports said, has been taken to assuage the feeling of discrimination with ‘neglected parts’ of Jammu division such as the Chenab Valley, besides ‘changing the demography of Kashmir’.
Putting these reports down, Advisor Khan termed it as rumor.
“These are just rumors. There is nothing to this sort in our consideration,” Khan said at the sidelines of a function in Srinagar.
“If and when anything like this is happening, we will tell the public and media at the earliest,” said Khan, asking people not to believe in speculations.
The speculations had even brought close companions face-to-face in past two days.
On Wednesday, Ankur Sharma, chairman of ‘IkkJutt Jammu’—often dubbed as ‘hardcore pro-Jammu organisation’ convened a press conference and warned Murmu’s administration against any such move, asserting that it would move ‘Greater Muslim Kashmir’.
“Muslim majority districts of Jammu province are being clubbed with Muslim majority districts of Kashmir and are created as separate Administrative Divisions,” Sharma said, describing this act as ‘Declaration of War on Jammu’.
“The Ikkjutt Jammu will not allow one more betrayal to Jammu and the nation,”Sharma said, asking his cadre to be ready for a ‘do-or-die’ struggle in case the Government even appears to move in this direction.
A day later, BJP strongly termed Sharma’s ‘accusations’ as a “mere fig of imagination and propaganda to create rift.”
“There is no element of truth in his tirade against the government planning to carry out administrative reorganisation in J&K UT in order to promote Greater Muslim Kashmir,” said Brig Anil Gupta, State spokesperson of BJP.
Gupta challenged Sharma to make public the source of his information and accused him of scare monger in order to hog media limelight through sensational statements.
“Using terms like, ‘Declaration of War on Jammu’ and ‘betrayal of Jammu and nation’ is clearly aimed at provocation,” Gupta said.


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