Cabinet-Sub-Committee report on Reservation will be tabled soon: CM Omar

Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that the report compiled by the Cabinet-Sub-Committee (CSC) on reservation policy will be tabled in the cabinet soon.

Omar while talking to reporters at Aligarh said, “The cabinet meeting is held twice in a month. So far, the meeting has not taken place. The meeting will take place in the next few days and the recommendations by the CSC will be tabled and will be looked into,” he said.

Omar took a dig at Pakistan for making attempts to destabilize the region and underscored the need for accelerated development of Jammu and Kashmir. “No matter how much development takes place, it is never enough. Given the persistent attempts by our neighbouring country to destabilize the region, it becomes all the more important to ensure that Jammu and Kashmir witnesses maximum progress,” he said.

Pertinently, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Masood Itoo who is also head of the CSC, in a post on X had said, “The Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted to examine the issue of reservations has drafted its report within the stipulated timeframe of six months. The report will be placed before the Cabinet when it meets,”

The panel was formally constituted on December 10, 2024, almost 18 days after the cabinet approved its constitution.

The existing reservation policy, introduced during central rule in Jammu and Kashmir, has become a focal point of political discourse, with candidates from the general category alleging that it disproportionately benefits reserved categories beyond their population share.

The issue also prominently featured in the 2024 Assembly election manifestos of all major political parties. The ruling National Conference (NC), in its electoral agenda, pledged to rationalize the reservation policy to address concerns raised by various sections of society.

On November 22, the Cabinet decided to establish a sub-committee to review grievances, particularly those raised by students regarding the policy.

A month later, NC’s MP from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, staged a protest outside the Chief Minister’s residence, demanding a fair review of the reservation policy.

During a meeting with protesting students on the same day, CM Omar Abdullah assured that the cabinet sub-committee would finalize its report within six months.

The issue was widely discussed during the last Assembly session in Jammu, with PC president Sajad Gani strongly advocating for rationalization of existing reservation policy. —(KNO)