Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Jul 30: In a significant move, the Jammu & Kashmir Government on Tuesday appointed Justice (retd.) Janak Raj Kotwal, a former judge of J&K High Court, as head of a panel set-up last month for reservation of other backward classes (OBCs) in local bodies of the Union Territory.
According to an order, the government appointed Justice Janak Raj Kotwal as head of the Jammu & Kashmir local bodies dedicated backward classes commission while as Raj Kumar Baghat(retired IAS officer) and Prof.( Dr.) Mohinder Singh Bhadwal( former dean SKUAST Jammu) would be its members.
The tenure of chairperson and members will be co-terminus with the term of the commission.
As per its terms of reference, the Commission is empowered to conduct an empirical study and investigation in the context of the representation of backward classes in all local bodies before the upcoming general elections of the local bodies.
It will submit its recommendations regarding proportional reservation for backward classes, Local Body-wise (Urban & Rural) in accordance with the amendments made in the Union Territory’s local bodies last year to facilitate reservation for OBCs in them.
On June 7, 2024, the administrative council headed by LG Manoj Sinha had cleared a proposal for constituting the panel for proposing reservation for OBCs in Panchayats and urban local bodies.
In 2023, the Parliament had made amendments in J&K’s reservation law to rechristen “Weak and Under-privileged Classes (Social Castes)” as “Other Backward Classes”.
Later, in February 2024, the Parliament amended the J&K’s municipal and Panchayat laws to facilitate reservation of OBCs in local bodies of the UT.
