Srinagar: A day after Jammu and Kashmir administration kicked off issuing domicile certificates to non-locals, more than 6000 persons have been granted citizenship rights in Jammu region majority of them former army soldiers of Gorkha communication.
According to reports, 35000 domicile certificates have been issued in last over two weeks and among them, hundreds are former soldiers of Gorkha regiment or their family members.
The recipients of the domicile certificates included those sections of society who were residing in J&K for the last more than 70 years but were deprived of their legitimate citizenship rights.
The revenue officials in Jammu district have issued domicile certificates to the former army soldiers of the Gorkha community, who have been residing in Jammu for decades.
"People who were living in Jammu and Kashmir for many years but were deprived of citizenship rights now have equal rights as other citizens of Jammu and Kashmir,” Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Sanjeev Verma said.
Verma did not reveal as the exact number of domicile certificates which have been issued to non-locals.
"The process is going on," he said.
Financial Commissioner Revenue Department, Dr Pawan Kotwal didn't reply to phone calls or text messages from ETV Bharat.
Also read: 'UMEED' milk societies provide employment to youth in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama
As per the domicile rules, those citizens of India and their children who have resided for 15 years in Jammu and Kashmir, or have studied for seven years and appeared in Class X or Class XII examination in an educational institution in the UT, are eligible for grant of domicile.
Under Article 370 and Article 35A barred non-locals and outsiders from seeking residency here, however, with their reading down, the government has opened doors for giving domicile certificates to non-locals which will make them eligible for buying land, applying for jobs, and in educational institutes in J&K.
However, the government has not yet notified the rules for buying land for the new domiciles.
Regional political parties in Jammu and Kashmir including National Conference, PDP, Panther's Party and the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement have opposed the move by issuing statements to media.
Last week, senior bureaucrat, Navin Kumar Choudhary, who is originally from Bihar, became the first senior government official to be issued domicile rights in Jammu and Kashmir.
