JAMMU: A bill to grant representation to Kashmiri Pandits in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly and another one to bestow Scheduled Tribe status to Pahari, Padri, Koli and Gada Brahmin communities in the Union Territory, and Scheduled Caste status to Valmikis, are likely to be introduced in the current session of Parliament.

Ministries of law, home, tribal affairs and social justice and the J&K administration are in the midst of final deliberations for piloting the bills this session.

The representation for Pandits is likely to be given by amending the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The bill to give communities ST/SC status will be moved by the tribal affairs ministry, officials informed.

“States can now grant Other Backward Caste status, but for SC/ST, a legislation will have to be presented before Parliament,” a senior government official said.

The legislation comes after recommendations to the effect by the delimitation commission and the interim report of Justice GD Sharma Committee on Socially and Educationally Backward Classes. The bills, incidentally, also come after several government employees from the Pandit community fled the Kashmir valley following targeted killings by militants, despite government assurances of protection.

They also come ahead of J&K assembly elections, which could be held in the first half of 2023. J&K has been without an elected government since BJP withdrew support to coalition partner PDP in June 2018. The state was brought under President’s rule in December 2018 and split into two UTs in 2019.

EC officials said if the law and order situation holds up after winter assembly polls to the UT would be held. The Election Commission has wrapped up most processes necessary for holding polls, from revision of electoral rolls to rationalisation of polling stations as per the delimitation panel’s report.

The delimitation panel had recommended reservation for at least two members (including a woman) from the Kashmiri Pandits in the assembly and such members may be given voting rights as bestowed on nominated members of the Puducherry assembly, another UT.

Persecution of Kashmiri Pandits over three decades and the need to help them preserve their political rights were cited as reasons for the nominated seats. The Centre nominates 3 MLAs to the Puducherry assembly, while 30 are elected. The rights of nominated MLAs in Puducherry were upheld by the Madras HC.

The panel had also recommended that the Centre consider the nomination of people displaced from Pakistan occupied Kashmir to the assembly. However, the Centre is yet to decide on the recommendation. ST status to Pahari and other communities were made in the interim report of the Sharma commission submitted in October. Gujjars and Bakerwals, wary that it will eat into their quota, have opposed the idea.

However, home minister Amit Shah had said during his recent visit to the UT that their quota will not be diluted. After the bifurcation, the J&K Reorganisation Act has allocated 114 seats for the UT assembly. Delimitation has seen reservation of 9 assembly seats for STs, for the first time. Six of the reserved assembly seats will be in Jammu and three in Kashmir. SCs already have reservation in the J&K assembly.

Jammu, December 14:

All the residential and commercial properties falling in the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) limits would be geo-tagged and a unique digital door number (DDN) would be assigned to each property, an official of the Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) said on Tuesday.

The mapping of the residential and commercial properties would enable the citizens to avail maximum benefits of civic services as well as governance, the official said.

He said JSCL, in coordination with JMC, is expeditiously working on the project – Geographical Information System (GIS), which also includes mapping of all the natural and man-made assets such as streams, rivers, elevations, drainage networks, road networks and utility poles onto the digital ward map of Jammu.

“Such captured data would also equip the administration for conducting spatial planning for various projects pertaining to infrastructure development in the municipal wards of Jammu. The technology can further be leveraged to strengthen the existing grievance redressal system, the official said.

He said the project would not only provide the digital addresses of the property but also revamp the delivery and monitoring of all civic services being provided by the government.

“The project will play a vital role by reducing manual interventions which will further plug the leakages in the systems and thereby promote transparency,” the official said.

He said the QR code-based digital door number (smart address) would be allotted and subsequently, a DDN plate fixed outside each property.

“For this purpose, the survey team duly authenticated by JMC is capturing the data against a few property attributes such as owner details, property measurements like plot area and built-up area, electric and water connection details and other relevant information.

“The data thus captured would be linked to the DDNs which will bring in several benefits like ease of address navigation for the citizen on a digital map, garbage collection monitoring,” the official said.

“The GIS technology can be exploited up to such an extent wherein the dimensions (length and width) captured against the road and drainage network across the city would act as one of the deciding factors for critical vehicular movements such as fire brigades and ambulances,” the official said.

National Service Scheme, (NSS) and Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) SMVDU organised
a human chain formation event to make aware students about discrimination against
women at workplace. The event was organized during the “Discrimination against Women
Pakhwada”. The event started with the briefing on the topic by NSS Programme Coordinator
Dr. Rajiv Kumar. The participants formed a human chain in the shape of “NO” to give a
message to stop such discriminations against women and say NO to such instances in every
organization. NSS volunteers, Ayush Arya and Muneeb also shared their views on the
occasion. The event was successfully conducted by the NSS volunteers. Dr. Sharada M.
Potukuchi, Presiding Officer, Internal Complaint Committee appreciated the efforts of the
volunteers.

Road accident left a woman dead while her husband sustained critical injuries in Doda district of Jammu region on Tuesday.

The accident occurred in Jathi area of Doda when a vehicle [JK02CN-5892] on its way to Batote from Doda went out of control from the driver and fell into a deep gorge.

Sources told news Trust that the couple on board were injured among which the woman died while her husband identified as Mangat Ram of Chilli, Bhalessa is undergoing treatment in the hospital.

IP Singh, Station House Officer Bari Brahamana, who has been transferred was accorded a warm send-off by the Civil Society & by the members of Bari Brahamana Industry.
The locals Speaking on the Occasion, termed the outgoing SHO as a good, honest and dedicated officer. They further added that transfers are part of the services and the people of the Bari Brahmana wish him good luck for his new assignment.

One local on the occasion said, His tenure as SHO Bari Brahamana will remain and be remembered as the Golden era in police administration of area.

Locals added that he played a pivotal role in controlling crime and his anti drugs campaign/aggressiveness will always be appreciated.

The outgoing SHO IP Singh extended his gratitude to locals for their support and sincere efforts and cooperation.