Vikas Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of Revenue Department, today informed the Legislative Assembly that the Government has issued more than 35.12 lakh domicile certificates in the past two years. Among them, 83,742 certificates have been granted to individuals who were not originally state subjects.
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Replying to a question raised by PDP legislator, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra, the CM said total number of domicile certificates that have been issued to holders of the erstwhile Permanent Resident Certificate during the last two years are 35, 12,184 out of which 83,742 have been issued to the non-state subjects.”
The issuance of domicile certificates to non-residents follows the repeal of Articles 370 and 35-A by the BJP-led Government at the Centre on August 5, 2019, which effectively removed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Prior to this, Article 35A had restricted outsiders from becoming domiciles or state subjects of Jammu and Kashmir, a provision that had been in place since 1927, when the Dogra ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, enacted the state subject laws.
Historically, these laws were designed to protect the rights of Kashmiri Pandits and limit the influence of outsiders, particularly Punjabis, in securing jobs and land in the region.
However, with the introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of State Laws) Order in April 2020, the conditions for acquiring domicile status were significantly altered. Under the new rules, individuals who have lived in the Union Territory for 15 years or studied in Jammu and Kashmir for seven years are now eligible for domicile rights, including access to Government employment and land ownership.
The ease of obtaining a domicile certificate has also been emphasized, with Tehsildars mandated to issue certificates within 15 days of a valid online application.
To ensure compliance, a penalty of Rs 50,000 is imposed on Revenue Officers who either deny or delay the correct applications.
This shift in the region’s legal framework has been met with mixed reactions, as it changes the demographic and political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, previously protected under the special constitutional provisions that existed before August 2019.
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