Srinagar: The three member Cabinet Sub-Committee on reservation rules under the chairmanship of Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo, interacted with several public delegations and students regarding their grievances on reservation rules at SKICC here today.
Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmad Rana and Minister for Youth Services and Sports, Satish Sharma (members of Sub-committee); Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sanjeev Verma; Commissioner Secretary, GAD, M Raju; Secretary Law, Achal Sethi and senior officers from General Administration department and Social Welfare department also participated in the meeting.
During the interaction, the delegations presented their view point before the Sub-committee regarding existing reservation policy.
While examining their grievances and issues regarding reservation rules, the Sub-Committee assured them that the government will take viewpoint of every section of society to arrive at an amicable solution where everyone’s interest is safeguarded.
The Sub-Committee further said that they are open for discussions with everyone in order to reach cordial solution.
The Sub-Committee added that they will present its report within the given time frame of six months to the council of ministers headed by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah.
Pertinently, the Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted by the Omar Abdullah led government after assuming power to look into grievances projected by several section of aspirants against the existing reservation rules.
The meeting comes days after government defended Reservation Policy in the High Court of J&K and Ladakh, emphasizing that it was the duty of the ‘State’ to give equal opportunities to all the sections of the “social order” and to take the “downtrodden out of their disadvantageous and unfavorable position.”
While calling the pleas filed in the Court as an attempt to “abuse the judicial process motivated by ill will, ulterior and oblique motives”, the Social Welfare Department in the affidavit filed on April 4 this year stressed on “equitable distribution of the resources so as to ensure prevailing of Justice in its true sense, as destined upon, in the Constitution.”
Last years, petitions were filed in High Court wherein petitioners contend that due to the amendments in the Reservation Rules of 2005 by authorities, there is a decrease in the percentage in Jammu and Kashmir Government Recruitment posts and seats in educational institutions for open merit from 57 percent to 33 percent, Residents of Backward Area (RBA) from 20 percent to 10 percent while there is an increase in reservation in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) from 10 percent to 20 percent, Social Caste from 2 percent to 8 percent, and ALC from 3 percent to 4 percent, PHC from 3 percent to 4 percent.
“It is important to note that no particular section of the society has indefeasible, inalienable and absolute right to reservation in perpetuity,” the affidavit says, adding, “It is the Government which has to maintain equilibrium in the society and has to see that all such section of the society that needs special measures for their advancement and progress are provided so and also the duration to continue the same, thus empowering and enabling them to contribute in Nation building.” Accordingly, as per the constitutional mandate, the affidavit said, underlining that the “appropriate Government is entitled to include or exclude any particular section to be dealt with under the provision of the reservation and to make the country a ‘Socialist’ one in its true spirit.”
The government said that the plea challenging the reservation policy was “enthused” with an ambition of intervention in the “separation of powers” so much so that the petitioners want to control the legislative powers of the Government by misusing the power of “judicial review.”
CSC assures amicable solution to reservation issue
