SRINAGAR: The Central Government is set to bring a significant amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, and make three berths in the Jammu and Kashmir reserved. While two berths would be reserved for “migrants”, one berth will be made exclusive for displaced persons, the people who migrated from parts of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947, now on the other side of the LoC, reports appearing in the media said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, is being presented in the Lok Sabha for approval. The reservations are being made to “preserve their political rights as well as for their overall social and economic development”.
Under the new amendments, the Bill specifies that two seats will be reserved for ‘Kashmiri Migrants,’ and one seat will be allotted to displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These members will be nominated by the Lt Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly, post delimitation, has 114 berths including 24 seats set aside for areas that fall under Pakistan Administered Kashmir. This leaves 90 seats for the contest – 47 in Kashmir and 43 in Jammu. Of these nine seats stand reserved for Scheduled Tribes where no candidates other than from STs will run for elections. Similarly, seven berths are reserved for the Schedule Caste population.
Now, there will be reservations within the assembly post-election. One proposed amendment suggests the LG may nominate not more than two members including a woman “from the community of Kashmiri Migrants”. Besides, he will also nominate “one member from displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir” to the Assembly.
