SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has not forwarded any memorandum, recommendation or proposal to the Government of India seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status specifically for displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the Legislative Assembly has been informed.
The disclosure was made by the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR) in response to a starred question tabled by Jammu West MLA Arvind Gupta regarding the long-pending demands of PoJK displaced persons.
In its reply, the government said no memorandum, recommendation or proposal concerning the grant of ST status to PoJK displaced persons settled within or outside J&K had been sent to the Centre.
The government, however, said the Social Welfare Department had received some representations seeking ST status for Pahari-speaking persons, including members of PoJK displaced families settled beyond Rajouri and Poonch.
According to the government, the applicants were informed that the Pahari Ethnic Group (PEG) has been included in the list of Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act, 2024, read with S.O. 176 dated March 15, 2024.
It said eligibility for issuance of ST-2 certificates is governed by the applicable provisions of the J&K Reservation Rules, including Rule 21, and is subject to fulfilment of the prescribed conditions and submission of the required documents.
The government was also asked whether it had assessed the socio-economic and educational difficulties faced by families displaced from PoJK in 1947 and what remedial measures had been proposed.
In response, the DMRRR said various measures, including financial assistance and other rehabilitation and welfare measures, had been extended to eligible displaced families under existing government policies and schemes.
On the issue of domicile certificates, the government said the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrant) is the competent authority for their issuance under the J&K Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2020.
It further said that, under Government Order No. 52-JK (DMRRR) of 2020 dated May 16, 2020, displaced persons are registered for the purpose of issuance of domicile certificates.
The concerned departments, it added, are implementing the applicable provisions within their respective administrative domains to facilitate access to benefits falling under their jurisdiction.
The government was also asked to provide a timeline for resolving the long-pending demands of PoJK displaced persons and providing them constitutional safeguards.
The DMRRR said the government had extended various benefits and safeguards to PoJK displaced persons from time to time. It added that all issues and demands are considered at the appropriate level within the existing constitutional, legal and policy framework.
The reply did not specify any timeline for resolving the demands raised by PoJK displaced persons or for introducing any additional constitutional safeguards.
