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OBC Reservation Bill in J&K Local Bodies Gets Lok Sabha Nod

HT Online Editor — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 16:12:43 +0530

SRINAGAR : Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the bill aimed at providing Reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after it was introduced in the lower house of the Parliament.

"With this, justice will be ensured to the citizens of Other Backward Classes of Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after 75 years of independence," reads a statement by the House, as per GNS.

In his reply to the discussion on the bill in the Lok Sabha, Rai said he made no reference to the opposition demand for the government to spell out a time frame for holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the restoration of statehood.

Rai said the opposition members, participating in the debate, were resorting to a drama of supporting the bill granting reservation to OBCs in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir and were raising other issues.

"I wish to make one thing clear, no matter how much you go around in circles, but in Jammu and Kashmir wherever you go you will only hear 'Modi, Modi' and the development ushered in by Modi," the minister said. (GNS)

Lok Sabha Passes Women's Reservation Bill, 454 members Vote in Favour

HT Online Editor — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 21:12:29 +0530

SRINAGAR: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Women's Reservation Bill which provides for a 33 percent quota in the lower house of parliament and the state assemblies for women.

As many as 454 members in the People's House voted in favour of the Bill while 2 members opposed it.

The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023 (Women’s reservation Bill) is the first legislation to be passed by the Lok Sabha in the ongoing special session of the Parliament. It is also the maiden legislation to be cleared in the new Parliament building.

"In order to enable greater participation of women as public representative in policy making at the state and national level, it is decided to introduce a fresh legislation for Constitutional amendment to provide for, as nearly as may be, one-third of total seats in the House of the People (Lok Sabha), the legislative assembly of every state and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to be reserved for women," according to the statement of objects and reasons of the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday moved the bill for consideration and passage in Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building.

Replying to the discussion on the bill, the Minister on Wednesday said that he will not allow the legislaiton to get stuck in technicalities.

Amid apprehensions that implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill will take more than 5 years or even more, Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that it will be implemented soon after Census and delimitation post general elections scheduled early next year.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi initiated the discussion on the bill on the part of the opposition and supported the bill, but pitched for making arrangements for quota to women from SC, ST and OBC communities by holding a caste census.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also demanded a caste census and immediate implementation of the quota for women.

The women's reservation bill will be taken up by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. (UNI)

Proposed Migrant Reservation Bill Politically Motivated: NC

HT Online Editor — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 23:32:58 +0530

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Monday accused BJP of using the reservation bill as a walking stick to reap election dividends in Jammu & Kashmir.

Lamenting the proposal, party’s chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said the proposed bill is blind to the ground realities.

“I have no problem with representation to under-represented communities. That was also the logic behind having an upper house which was scrapped under the J&K Reorganisation Act,” he said.

There are reports that the union government is moving to amend the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019 to reserve two seats in the J&K Legislative Assembly for ‘Kashmiri Migrants’ and one for displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Kashmir. These members will be nominated by the Lieutenant Governor.

NC’s Tanvir said the party's opposition is to the proposal of LG nominating individuals.

“This should be the prerogative of the elected government and not an un-elected representative of Delhi. The fact that the LG is being authorised to nominate any person is another admission that the BJP are convinced they will lose the next election in J&K and are using the nomination route to try to get a handful of members in the house. That said, two or three seats will make no difference to the future of the BJP,” he said, adding that the BJP should stop hiding behind the election commission and the LG.

Tanvir said that the party has already rejected the J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019, and that the entire process is currently under judicial scrutiny in the highest court of the country. “It raises concerns about how the government can proceed with a decision while its parent Act is still being debated in the Supreme Court. Such decisions go against the constitutional propriety as it preempts the SC decision. Ideally such a decision should have been left to a democratically elected government,” he said.

The BJP said the stage is set for another historic moment and termed it a great gesture by PM Modi led government

“Re organisation bill to be tabled in the parliament's moonsoon session:Kashmiri pandits to get two seats. KPs were forced to leave their home land and live a miserable life. One seat will be given to PoJK people who rejected two nation theory and stood with Indian union. Later JK LG to nominate three members for KPs and PoJK people in the Parliament. Indeed a great gesture by PM Modi led government,” Altaf Thakur, BJP JK spokesman said. (UNI)