Parliament passes 3 J&K Bills

New Delhi, February 9

The Parliament on Friday cleared the Bill to add four groups including Paddari and Pahari in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Rajya Sabha today approved the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which adds two other communities — Gadda Brahmin and Koli — to the Scheduled Tribes list.

The Upper House also cleared The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 by voice vote. The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024 seeks to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir and bring consistency in the local body laws of the Union Territory with the provisions laid down by the Constitution.

At present, there is no provision for reservation of seats for OBCs in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, adds Valmiki community as a synonym of Chura, Balmiki, Bhangi and Mehtar communities in the list of Scheduled Castes in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order of 1956, which lists the castes deemed to be Scheduled Castes in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The three Bills, already cleared by Lok Sabha, were taken simultaneously for discussion and passage in the Upper House.

Replying to the discussion on the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda said the Bill seeks to give justice to the communities who were demanding ST status for long.

“The scrapping of Article 370 has allowed us to bring these laws,” Munda said. Replying to the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityananda Rai said the government has taken several steps for the welfare of the OBCs in the Union Territory. The amendments proposed are yet another step in that direction, Rai said.

The Bill ensures reservation for OBCs in panchayats and municipal bodies in Jammu and Kashmir. Further, the state Election Commission will be in charge of conducting elections to panchayats and municipalities, he said. Lastly, the removal process of state Election Commissioner would be according to the constitutional provisions and could only be removed under circumstances similar to those of a judge of a High Court, Rai added.

Replying to the discussion on the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar said the communities would get the benefits of so many schemes with the passing of the Bills. He said that instead of doing vote-bank politics, the BJP was committed to strengthening weaker sections.