Shadow Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 22 :
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said the Cabinet has approved for the formation of a three member sub-committee who will look into the reservation issue and submit their report in a stipulated time to the government.
There has been a growing frustration among the open merit candidates over alleged disparities in job quota allocations introduced by the Centre.
The J & K Cabinet which met in Jammu today decided to constitute a sub-committee in which three ministers will take a holistic view on the reservation issue.
“Our youth, especially those in the open category, feel that they are not getting their rights. But at the same time, those who have been brought into the reservation do not want to reduce their quota. So that is why today the Cabinet decided to establish a sub-committee. There will be three honourable ministers in that cabinet sub-committee. The Cabinet has told them to take a holistic view of this reservation,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar.
The sub- committee will ensure that the directions of the Supreme Court are followed and no one’s right is taken away.
“The sub-committee has been given time. They will present their report to the cabinet. And after that, we will be able to make a decision on this,” he said.
In reply to a question Omar said “for the releasing of prisoners languishing in various jails of the country, we need the statehood”.
The CM said the security, policing and law and order are in the jurisdiction of the central government and is being looked into by the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory.
“As far as people are concerned about being released from jail, from the first day, we have been trying to get Jammu and Kashmir back to the state level. Because we know that people want progress on some that we can’t do till we are a UT,” he said.
Omar said the government has told the police about the verification for jobs.
“As I have already said in the Assembly that the verifications were weaponized in Kashmir, I hope there will be some relaxation,’ Omar added.
In reply to a question, Omar said “the resolution for the restoration of special status passed in the Assembly has not been rejected”.
“Resolution was passed and nobody rejected it. This is a big achievement and it has opened a door”, he said.
When asked about the reservation by Congress on the resolution of restoration of special status , Omar said that “the Congress is not part of our government and has supported us from the outside”.
“The resolution we brought by the government and except the BJP, all members supported including the Congress”, the Chief Minister said and added “it is evident that in Jharkhand and Maharashtra, the way BJP targeted Congress, the resolution is the reply to those who first said there is nothing in it.”
“If the resolution does not have carried anything why the Prime Minister sahib and Home Minister sahib repeatedly spoke about it,” Omar questioned, adding “obviously the resolution carried something and it became a compulsion for the Congress to dilute it a little bit. But with their (Congress) saying nothing is getting diluted. The Assembly in Kashmir has overwhelmingly passed it”, he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jammu & Kashmir Omar Abdullah is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday to perform Umrah.Jammu and Kashmir tourismJammu tourism packagesJammu and Kashmir property listings
Taking to micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter), Omar Abdullah informed: “Alhumdullilah political clearance has come. I will be traveling to Saudi Arabia on Monday to perform Umrah & to offer prayers at Al Masjid an Nabawi (SAW) (The Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque) in Medina”.
