Rajya Sabha passes bill to provide OBC quota in J&K local bodies

Rajya Sabha has passed the J&K Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeking to provide quota for other backward classes in panchayats and municipalities.

New Delhi, Feb 9 : The Rajya Sabha on Friday passed the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeking to provide quota for other backward classes (OBCs) in panchayats and municipalities.

The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to amend certain provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000 and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000.

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Lok Sabha has already passed the bill.

As per the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, the legislation will ensure justice to the OBCs of Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after 75 years of independence.

The Rajya Sabha also passed the Constitution (J&K) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Constitution (J&K) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The Constitution (J&K) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to add Valmiki community in the list of Scheduled Castes in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir had recommended for inclusion of Valmiki community as a synonym of Chura, Bhangi, Balmiki and Mehtar communities in the list of scheduled castes.

The Constitution (J&K) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 proposes to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989 to include the Gadda Brahmin, Koli, Paddari Tribe and Pahari Ethnic Group in the list of Scheduled Tribes in J&K.

A government release had earlier this week said that inclusion of these communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir will have absolutely no impact on the current level of reservations available to the existing Scheduled Tribe communities such as Gujjars and Bakarwals.

“They will continue to get reservations like before,” it said.

The bills had earlier been passed by Lok Sabha.