look news india
Jammu, July 30 (HS). BJP OBC Morcha President Sunil Prajapati met National Commission for Backward Classes, NCBC Chairman Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on his visit to Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting, organized by the Jammu and Kashmir UT government at MA Road Banquet Hall in Srinagar, was aimed at addressing pending issues affecting the OBC community in the region.
Prajapati along with his team welcomed Ahir by presenting him a bouquet of flowers and then raised several important issues. On this occasion, key officials including Principal Secretary Education, Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare Department Sheetal Nanda, Principal Commissioner Secretary GAD Sanjeev Verma and Secretary Health Abid Hussain were also present.
Prajapati highlighted the anomalies in issuance of OBC certificates, particularly the income limit criteria for the creamy layer. He pointed out that the existing rules in Jammu and Kashmir are not in consonance with the Central government guidelines which exclude non-gazetted government employees (Group 2 and 3) from the creamy layer. He called for adoption of the Central government norms to ensure fair issuance of OBC certificates.
Additionally, Prajapati requested removal of “rural only” designation for certain castes like Nai, Kumhar, Teli and Dhobi from the central OBC list which is already a change in the state OBC list. He also urged inclusion of 41 OBC castes recognised by Jammu and Kashmir in the central OBC list as only 24 castes have been accepted in the current list.
Prajapati stressed the need to increase the OBC reservation percentage in Jammu and Kashmir which is currently 8 per cent to better reflect the community's 40 per cent population ratio. He also called for the restoration of pre-matric scholarship for OBC students which has been stopped since 2020 causing great hardship to poor families.
Concerns were also raised about the incomplete construction of the OBC hostel building at Kot Bhalwal which has been under construction since 2017. Prajapati stressed the need to complete this project and establish a hostel in every district of the Union Territory. The meeting emphasised the urgent need to address these issues to ensure justice and equal treatment for the OBC community in Jammu and Kashmir.