SRINAGAR: A government reply to an unstarred question in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has revealed a disparity in the issuance of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates in Jammu and Kashmir, with Jammu Division receiving 24,545 of the 26,558 certificates issued across the Union territory and Kashmir Division accounting for just 2,013.
The figures were provided in response to an unstarred question tabled by MLA Chadoora, Ali Mohammad Dar and show that a large majority of EWS certificates granted in the past two years were concentrated in the Jammu Division, leaving the Kashmir Division with a comparatively small share.
The government set out the eligibility criteria for the EWS category under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act 2004 and subsequent rules. A person is eligible for EWS status if they are not covered under reservation schemes for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or Socially and Educationally Backward Classes; if the family’s gross annual income is below Rs 8.00 lakh; and if the family does not possess specified assets. The rules exclude families owning five acres of agricultural land or more, a residential flat of 1,000 square feet or more, a residential plot of 100 square yards or more in notified municipalities, or a residential plot of 200 square yards or more in areas outside notified municipalities. The government also clarified that income includes earnings from all sources — salary, agriculture, business, profession and so on — for the financial year prior to the year of application.
Addressing causes for denial, the reply said each application is examined and verified strictly in accordance with applicable rules and guidelines, and that certificates are refused only when applicants fail to meet the criteria laid down in SRO 518 of 2019. On queries about applicants who share a home or residential plot with married siblings or legal co-owners, the administration stated that such cases are assessed on the basis of the prevailing rules and the prescribed asset and income thresholds.
The government provided a district-wise breakdown of certificates issued during the period under review and confirmed the overall totals: Kashmir Division 2,013; Jammu Division 24,545; total for the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir 26,558. The administration said the district-level figures have been compiled following verification as required by the rules.
