Parliament passes bills for OBC quota in local bodies in J-K, expand list of Scheduled Tribes

NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Friday passed three legislations relating to Jammu and Kashmir including the bill to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes in local bodies to bring consistency in the local bodies' laws of the Union territory with the provisions of the Constitution.

Rajya Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The three bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai replied to the debate on the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar answered the debate on the bill relating to Scheduled Castes Order and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda to the bill relating to Scheduled Tribes Order. Munda said that the three bills brought after the abrogation of Article 370 were aimed at giving justice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir will get "political reservation for the first time".

The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeks to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes in the panchayats and the municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir and to bring consistency in the local bodies laws of the Union territory with the provisions of the Constitution. It seeks to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Act, 2000 and the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000. Officials said that provisions pertaining to state Election Commissioner in the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act "are at variance" with the provisions of the Constitution.

They said said Jammu and Kashmir administration had recommended the inclusion of the Valmiki community as a synonym of Chura, Bhangi, Balmiki, Mehtar at serial number 5 in the list of Scheduled Castes of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 proposes to amend the Schedule of the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order, 1956 for inclusion of 'Valmiki'.

The officials said that the Jammu and Kashmir administration has requested for inclusion of the "Gadda Brahmin", "Koli", "Paddari Tribe" communities and "Pahari Ethnic Group" in the list of Scheduled Tribes. The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 proposes to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989.