NC, Apni Party Welcome OBC Quota in J&K's Panchayats, Municipalities

The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to provide reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local bodies (panchayats and municipalities) in Jammu and Kashmir. The move comes after significant changes in the Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 37, writes ETV Bharat's Saurabh Sharma.

New Delhi:The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill to provide reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local bodies (panchayats and municipalities) in Jammu and Kashmir claiming that key changes have taken place in the Union Territory since the abrogation of Article 370.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, former minister and chief of JK Apni Party Altaf Bukhari said, "We welcome this move with an open heart, but the only thing that remains unanswered is when will the elections be conducted in Jammu Kashmir.

Taking a jibe at the Union government, he said, "They don't want democratic institutions to flourish here. Providing reservation to all the backward communities is a welcome move, but conducting elections should be the top priority."

Similarly, Imran Nabi Dar, spokesperson of the National Conference, said, "We have always welcomed all these moves where communities which have been lagging should get the reservation and NC has always supported such moves and we have always been at the forefront."

"But at the same time, these decisions should have been taken by the elected legislatures, which is not happening. So, it's ironic that these decisions are being taken by people, who have no understanding of the ground reality of Jammu Kashmir," he alleged.

It is worthy to note here that the Bill seeks to amend provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Raj Act, 1989, the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000 and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000. Till now Jammu and Kashmir has no provision for reservation for OBCs in the panchayats and the municipalities, unlike various other states in the country.

The UT is also yet to hold Assembly elections since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Jammu and Kashmir has been ruled without an elected government since 2018 when the BJP pulled out of the coalition government with Mehbooba Mufti-headed People's Democratic Party (PDP).

The last Assembly elections in J&K were held in 2014 when the PDP emerged as the single largest party and sided with the BJP despite the resentment from the party and people. On January 9, 2024, the term of nearly 28,000 local body representatives ended with District Development Councils being the sole tier of elected governance in the Union Territory at present.