Jammu, Oct 15: Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony for new government formation in Jammu & Kashmir, the Schedule Caste (SC) community expressed concern over its representations and hoped that the NC-Congress alliance would adjust the community in the government or send its members to Rajya Sabha.
For the first time in recent years, the Chief Minister and cabinet in Jammu and Kashmir took oath without any representative from Schedule Caste community as all seven SC-reserved seats of Jammu and Kashmir clinched by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in recently concluded assembly polls that won 29 seats out of 43 from Jammu province.
As per new delimitation of assembly segments, all seven SC reserved seats namely Akhnoor, Bishnah, Kathua, Marh, Ramghar, Ramnagar and Suchetghar of J&K falls in Jammu, Kathua, Samba and Udhampur districts of Jammu province where BJP clean swept the polls and won 22 out of 24 assembly segments.
Sham Lal Basson, State President, All J&K Dalit Chetan Manch said that it’s very disturbing for the entire SC community that none of its members are eligible to be inducted as ministers in the new government.
He said all seven reserved seats went in the kitty of BJP, which is likely to sit in opposition.
Basson said that earlier the community got ministry and membership on advisory boards. He hoped that the NC-Congress coalition government work-out some mechanism to accommodate SC members.
Another member of Schedule Caste, Saryara community, Romesh Lal Saryara, said that the government should think over inclusivity and suitable representation for all sections of society including Schedule Caste.
He said that the NC should think over sending a member of SC community to Rajya Sabha from Jammu, which would not only give them representations but also expand the footprints of the government in Jammu.
Earlier, in Jammu and Kashmir SC ministers reached to the top offices which included Congress party’s Tara Chand, who represented the SC community and held important offices including the chair of deputy chief minister, education minister and speaker.
Mula Ram and Suman Lata Bhagat (Congress), Bali Bhagat and Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal (BJP), Babu Ram Paul (National Conference), Yash Pal Kundal (JKNPP) remain ministers in J&K government since 2002. (KNO)
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