STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: With Jammu and Kashmir Government notifying rules with regard to issuance of Domicile Certificate for a domicile of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday vehemently welcomed the decision, asserting that wrongs committed by previous governments have been undone.
The decision assumes significance as the spouse of a domicile certificate holder can get the certificate upon submission of certain documents, as a new clause has been added under the J&K Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2020.
The Union cabinet in 2020 had approved the Jammu & Kashmir (Adaptation of State Laws) Second Order, 2020 issued under section 96 of Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The power to grant the category of domicile to the spouse of domicile has been conferred with the Tehsildar.
The spouse is eligible to get a certificate upon showing — 1) Domicile certificate of his/her spouse and 2) valid marriage proof.
The order modified the applicability of Domicile conditions to all levels of jobs in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir under the Jammu & Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment) Act.
“NC, PDP, Congress had been selling dreams of all sorts to people of J&K since the past so many decades. And it was ironic to see that secessionist leaders who had married women from outside the country including Pakistan had ensured state subject rights and status for them but daughters of J&K who were marrying people within India but outside J&K were losing all the rights in J&K,” Ravinder Raina, J&K BJP chief told reporters at a press conference.
“An alarm bell to the effect was sounded by full bench of J&K High Court while delivering the final judgement in Dr. Sushila Sawhney Vs State of J&K in the year 2002. High Court had held the law as gender discriminatory. But the anti-women Bill was pushed through the J&K Assembly with 2/3rd majority where Cong, NC, PDP were on same page,” he said.
Nonetheless, with the enactment of J&K reorganisation Act, the idea of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshshat Bharat’ has been put into play, he said, adding, “and all such anti-women, anti-youth, anti-people laws and arrangements have been put beneath the carpet. Although as per the existing arrangements some categories of people have been seek Domicile Status subject to fulfillment of certain conditions.”
“It is in the same vein that another progressive law has come into play. The families of women marrying outside have been made eligible for domicile status,” he said, adding that this marks another milestone post Aug 5, 2019 in J&K history.
Raina expressed his sincerest thanks to the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well the UT dispensation led by LG Manoj Sinha.
He was flanked by former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta, General Secretary and former state minister Sunil Sharma, BJP headquarters In-charge and former Minister Priya Sethi and Spokesperson R S Pathania.