SRINAGAR: Data released in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday has reignited debate over regional disparity between the Jammu and Kashmir regions.
The figures show that of the 11.81 lakh reservation certificates issued across seven categories in the Union Territory, 86 percent were granted in the Jammu region, while only 14 percent were issued in Kashmir.
Replying to a cut motion moved by Peoples Conference president and MLA Sajad Gani Lone, the government informed the Assembly, currently in session in Jammu, that out of 7,49,970 Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates issued in J&K, 6,93,781 (92.5%) were granted in Jammu and 56,189 (7.4%) in Kashmir.
Similarly, of the 1,41,419 Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates issued in J&K, 1,39,664 (98.7%) were issued in Jammu and only 1,755 (1.24%) in Kashmir.
In the Reserved Backward Area (RBA) category, Jammu accounted for 50.5 percent while Kashmir accounted for 49.4 percent. Out of 1,00,848 RBA certificates issued, 50,982 were granted in Jammu and 49,866 in Kashmir.
“Of the 7,192 ALC certificates issued in J&K, 6732 (93.6%) were issued in Jammu and 460 (6.3%) in the Valley,” the data reveals.
All the 6,732 International Border (IB) certificates in J&K were granted in the Jammu division.
In the Other Backward Category (OBC), out of 1,30,976 certificates issued in the Union Territory, 78,324 (59.8%) were issued in Jammu and 52,652 (40.1%) in Kashmir.
The data further reveals that a total of 47,235 Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates have been issued in J&K. Of these, 43,136 (91.3%) were granted in the Jammu region and 4,099 (8.6%) in Kashmir.
Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Lone raised concerns over what he described as a stark regional imbalance in reservation and certificate issuance. He said the official data confirms what had earlier been termed as political rhetoric.
"What was once dismissed as subjective perception or partisan grievance now stands established as verifiable, documented reality," the MLA said, adding that the evidence leaves little room for alternative interpretation.
Lone called for immediate corrective steps and demanded policy-level interventions and institutional accountability mechanisms to address what he termed systemic regional discrimination in access to welfare benefits and constitutional safeguards.
“Unless the regional imbalance in the composition and distribution of reservations is seriously examined and corrected, the existing skewed pattern, where most jobs continue to go disproportionately to one region, will persist,” added the MLA.