Modi govt introduces bill in Lok Sabha to provide reservation for OBCs in J&K

The Bill aims to provide OBC quota in panchayat and municipal polls besides mandating that the removal of State Election Commissioner should be in a manner and on the like grounds as a judge of a High Court. Sources said the government intends to pass the bill in the last session of this Lok Sabha.

New Delhi: The government on Monday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to provide for reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it will ensure that the backward people in the state will get "justice for the first time after 75 years of independence".

The Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai tabled the The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 on behalf of Home Minister Amit Shah seeking to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989; the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000; and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000.

The Bill aims to provide OBC quota in the panchayat and municipal polls besides mandating that the removal of State Election Commissioner should be in a manner and on the like grounds as a judge of a High Court. Sources said the government intends to pass the bill in the last session of this Lok Sabha.

Shah said in the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill, "justice will be ensured to the citizens of Other Backward Classes of Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after 75 years of independence".

The Bill seeks to bring consonance with the provisions of the Constitution and the existing laws governing local body elections in Jammu and Kashmir. At present, there is no quota for OBCs in Jammu and Kashmir panchayats and municipalities.

Also, the municipal polls are conducted by the Chief Electoral Officer under the Election Commission and not by the State Election Commission. The new Bill mandates that the municipal polls are also conducted by the State Election Commission like the panchayat elections.