Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): A senior IAS officer posted in Jammu and Kashmir, who hails from Bihar, has become the first government official to get the domicile certificate -- weeks after the BJP government abolished the permanent residential laws which barred outsiders from getting residency rights in the Union Territory.
Naveen Kumar Choudhary, who originally hails from Bihar, is presently posted as Principal Secretary to government in the department of Agriculture and Horticulture. He has got the domicile certificate for Jammu and Kashmir, which gives him the right to property, land and other avenues.
Under Article 35 A, non-locals were barred to get domicile rights or own property in Jammu and Kashmir. However, with abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A on August 5 last year, such Constitutional guarantee was ended which opened doors for residential and property rights to any non-local who fulfils certain criteria as per new domicile rules.
As per the new domicile certificate given to Choudhary, he had applied in Gandhinagar Tehsil in Jammu district. Choudhary is among the nearly 25,000 people who have been granted a domicile certificate in the Union Territory.
"This is to certify, Shri Navin K Choudhary son of Shri Deokant Choudhary resident of at present Gandhi Nagar Jammu is a domicile of UT of J&K," reads the domicile certificate issued by Tehsildar Bahu, Rohit Sharma.
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"That the applicant is eligible in terms of the following clause of Rule 5 of the Jammu and Kashmir Grant Domicile Certificate (Production) Rules, 2020," reads certificate issued by the Government which has the photograph, and Aadhar Card of Choudhary.
As per the new J&K Grant Domicile Certificate (Production) Rules, issued on May 18, all those who have been living in Jammu and Kashmir for more than 15 years can apply for the certificate.
In Kashmir, a young girl from Baramulla became the first Kashmiri resident who was granted domicile certificate last week under the new rules.
The government has made the process of getting a domicile certificate easier for applicant by making an online portal where an applicant has to give his Aadhaar numbers, while a permanent resident of Jammu and Kashmir has to produce PRCs online.
Official records reveal that Government has received 33,157 applications for domicile certificates in J&K and over 25,000 people have been granted the citizenship certificate. These include both locals and non-locals as well.
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The ten districts of Jammu region have received 32,000 applications while Kashmir has received only 720 applications. The highest number of domicile certificates — 8,500 — have been issued in Doda, followed by Rajouri (6,214), Poonch (6,123), and Jammu (2,820). Nearly 414 domicile certificates are under process in Jammu district.
In Kashmir, the highest number of domicile certificates have been issued in Pulwama (153), followed by Anantnag (106), Kulgam (90), Baramulla (39), Shopian (20), Bandipora (10), Kupwara (10), Budgam (09), Ganderbal (1). Srinagar is the only district which has received 65 applications but none has been granted as of today.
Though many have expressed their reservations that the new domicile rules are aimed at changing the demography of Jammu and Kashmir, the government on its part, has argued that the changes have been made to remove the discrimination in the Constitution.
