MHA amends earlier order, reserves all govt jobs for domiciles of J&K

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday brought in amendments to reserve all jobs for the domiciles of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

New Delhi: After receiving a widespread backlash from all sections of society and the political parties on its earlier order, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday brought in amendments to reserve all jobs for the domiciles of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

The move is considered as a huge U-turn by the home ministry on account of the pressure the BJP faced from several quarters including its own party.

Earlier, the Centre had reserved only level-4 jobs for the J&K residents, causing a huge resentment in the Union Territory.

All political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were up in arms against the earlier order. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Wednesday lashed out at the Centre over new domicile rules for Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was an insult to injury of the people as there were none of the promised protections.

“Talk about suspect timing. At a time when all our efforts & attention should be focused on the #COVID outbreak the government slips in a new domicile law for J&K. Insult is heaped on the injury when we see the law offers none of the protections that had been promised,” Omar Abdullah said in a series of tweets.

The former chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir said the new law was so hollow that even politicians with “Delhi’s blessings” were forced to criticise it.

“You can imagine how hollow the domicile law is from the fact that even the new party created with Delhi’s blessings, whose leaders were lobbying in Delhi for this law, have been forced to criticise the #JKdomicilelaw,” he added.

Omar Abdullah was apparently referring to the criticism of the domicile law by Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party founder Altaf Bukhari.

Altaf Bukhari claimed that he had apprised Home Minister Amit Shah and NSA Ajit Doval regarding the shortcomings in the newly issued order on domicile.

Altaf Bukhari has demanded that all the levels of government employment both non-gazetted and gazetted posts be filled up by the eligible amongst the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir at district, divisional and state cadres.

INDIA TODAY