Jammu, Feb 11 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday tabled data in the Legislative Assembly showing a disparity in the issuance of reserved category certificates between Jammu Division and the Kashmir Valley.
Official figures presented by the Jammu and Kashmir government in the Assembly revealed a significant regional imbalance in the issuance of reserved category certificates between the Jammu and Kashmir divisions.
The data was tabled in response to a cut motion moved by Peoples Conference (PC) president and MLA Sajad Gani Lone.
According to the figures, Jammu division dominates across almost all seven reserved categories, with particularly sharp disparities in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) segments.
In the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category, out of a total of 7,49,970 certificates issued across the Union Territory, as many as 6,93,781 were granted in Jammu, accounting for over 92.5 per cent.
In contrast, only 56,189 certificates, or 7.4 per cent, were issued in Kashmir division.
The gap is even wider in the Scheduled Caste (SC) category. Of the 1,41,419 SC certificates issued, an overwhelming 1,39,664 (over 98 per cent) were granted in Jammu, while Kashmir accounted for just 1,755 certificates, representing barely 1.24 per cent.
In the Reserved Backward Area (RBA) category, however, the figures show a near-equal distribution. Out of 1,00,848 certificates issued, 50,982 (50.5 per cent) were granted in Jammu and 49,866 (49.4 per cent) in Kashmir.
Similarly, under the Actual Line of Control (ALC) category, 7,192 certificates were issued in total, with Jammu receiving 6,732 (93.6 per cent) and Kashmir 460 (6.3 per cent).
Notably, all 6,732 International Border (IB) certificates were issued exclusively in Jammu division.
In the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, Jammu again leads with 78,324 certificates (59.8 per cent), while Kashmir accounts for 52,652 certificates (40.2 per cent).
The data highlights variations in the distribution of reserved category certificates, with Valley-centric politicians stating that this has broader implications for representation and access to government benefits across Jammu and Kashmir.
–IANS
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