The State Commission for Backward Classes has begun the process to make reservation available to the people who reside in the villages near the international border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The recommendation to this effect has already been submitted to the State Government, and residents within six kilometres from the IB are to benefit from the same.
Subrule c(11) of rule 4 of J&K Reservation Rules 2005 will be amended to make this happen. The same will be revised to say “residents of the areas adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC) and the International Border (IB), instead of residents of area adjoining the Actual Line of Control (ALC)”.
As per the J&K Reservation Act 2004, read with J&K Reservation Rules 2005, residents of the areas adjoining the ALC with Pakistan and China in Jammu and Kashmir have already been enjoying three per cent reservation benefits.
The proposed reservation benefits to residents near the IB will cover a population of over three lakh and more than 350 villages from Kathua to Pargwal in Akhnoor.
However, the areas and villages already declared as reserved backward areas or RBA, will not be allowed reservation benefits under the category of IB areas.
The reservation benefits have been proposed keeping in mind the frequent troubles that IB population is subjected to. They suffer direct line fire, small-scale clashes and cross-border fire among other issues. They are often dislocated and displaced, which takes a toll on them, not just physically but mentally too. They are often forced to abandon their homes and lose the opportunity to receive proper and regular education and health care. This makes them incapable of competing with people from peaceful areas.
