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Reservation report sent to Centre, will be made public after decision: Minister Sakeena Itoo
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday said the report prepared by a sub-committee on reservation has been approved by the Cabinet and forwarded to the Centre, and it will be made public once a final decision is received.
On December 10, 2024, the government had constituted the cabinet sub-committee to look into grievances raised by various sections of aspirants against the existing reservation policy in the Union Territory and submitted the LG in October last year.
Replying to discussion on grants on her department of health, social welfare and education in the Assembly, the minister said the government has taken a serious and consultative approach on the reservation issue and assured that the interests of youth were kept at the centre of deliberations.
“After cabinet discussion and approval, the report was submitted to the Lieutenant Governor. The day before yesterday, the Chief Minister said in his speech here that the Lieutenant Governor has forwarded it to the Home Minister,” Education Minister Sakeena Itoo said.
Now, whatever decision is taken there, when the file comes back to us, it will be placed before the public, she said.
The minister said several representations were received by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after formation of the government, following which a sub-committee comprising three ministers was constituted to examine the issue.
“The committee held consultations with delegations from different regions, including Rajouri, Srinagar, Baramulla, Jammu and Kathua,” Itoo said.
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“We met delegations across political lines and prepared a detailed report after consultations. The report was submitted to the government, examined by departments and discussed again before final submission,” she said.
The minister said that the report was subsequently approved by the Cabinet and forwarded to the LG, who has further sent it to the Union Home Ministry for consideration.
She said that the matter is currently confidential and under examination, but assured that the government will place the report in the public domain once it is returned after a final decision. “We have worked sincerely on merit and kept youth welfare in mind rather than indulging in vote politics,” she added.
The minister also thanked members of the House for participating in discussions on grants of her departments and raising constituency-specific issues, assuring that all concerns would be examined for necessary follow-up.
She said the Budget 2026-27 presented by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reflects inclusive growth and strong focus on education, healthcare, social welfare and women empowerment, aimed at improving service delivery and strengthening public welfare across Jammu and Kashmir.
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Reservations have become a major issue in J and K following the Central government’s decision to add more communities to the reserved category and expand quotas in the UT over the past five years.
There have been growing objections to the Centre’s move to push the reservation quota to 70 per cent in J and K, following last year’s announcements introducing a separate 10 per cent reservation for Paharis and other tribes and enhancing the OBC quota to eight per cent.
