KINS Desk
Srinagar, April 4 (KINS): A day after Centre made amendments in domicile law, former chief minister Omar Abdullah Saturday demanded restoration of statehood and conducting of elections in J&K. .
“It’s high time the people of J&K get to decide the laws that will govern them rather than being subjected to the whims & fancies of the centre where orders are issued in the morning & changes to the same order issued in the evening. Restore statehood, conduct elections. #Democracy,” he Tweeted.
Centre made amendments on Friday as there were sharp reactions to J&K domicile law which was unveiled on Wednesday. Politicians had questioned the timing of the order, saying it was most unfortunate that such an important order was issued at a time when the country was battling for its survival and was under a strict lockdown to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
However, on Friday evening, the Central government amended its two-day-old order and reserved all jobs in Jammu and Kashmir for the domiciles of the Union territory – people who have stayed there for at least 15 years.
On Wednesday, while laying down the rules for domiciles, the government had reserved jobs up to group 4 only.
However, following angry reactions from local political parties, an amended gazette notification – titled the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order-2020 – was put out on Friday night, reserving jobs for the domiciles of the UT, which was formed in October, 2019, after the Centre withdrew the special status of the erstwhile state and announced its bifurcation.
“Any person who fulfills the following conditions shall be a domicile of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the purposes of appointment to any post under the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” the revised notification said.
“No person shall be eligible for appointment to any post unless he is a domicile of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” the amended Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment) Act, which is a part of the notification, said.
In the 1 April notification, the jobs were reserved only upto group 4 in the government, which is equivalent to the rank of constable in police parlance and multi-tasking staff in government offices.
Under the domicile law, anyone who has resided for 15 years in Jammu and Kashmir or has studied for seven years and appeared in Class 10 and Class 12 examinations in an educational institution located in the Union territory is a domicile.(KINS)
