Srinagar, Oct 31 (KNO): In yet another revelation indicating gross regional disparity in reservation, the Jammu & Kashmir government on Friday informed the Legislative Assembly that the Jammu region accounted for 71.8% of category certificates issued under various categories in 2025, while the remaining 28.2% were issued in Kashmir.
As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), in a written reply to a question by MLA Handwara and Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone, Minister in-charge of Social Welfare Sakina Itoo revealed that 215,863 certificates under Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (OBC), Actual Line of Control, and International Border categories were issued in J&K from January 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025.
During this period, the minister stated that 32,671 applications for category certificates were rejected across J&K. Of these, 25,354 applications were rejected in Jammu and 7,317 in Kashmir.
The minister admitted that the asset criteria is the main reason for the rejection of certificates in the Kashmir Valley but added that no proposal is currently under consideration to relax or amend the rules governing it.
“As regards relaxation or amendment of the relevant provisions, it is submitted that no such proposal is under consideration at present,” the minister said.
According to the asset criteria set by the government, a family seeking an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificate must not own agricultural land over five acres, a residential flat exceeding 1,000 sq ft, or residential plots larger than 100 sq yards in municipalities and 200 sq yards in non-notified areas—(KNO)