Srinagar, Jun 9 Describing the decision to reserve jobs for locals in Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh a half hearted attempt of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government, senior Communist Party of India (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Wednesday demanded restoration of pre August 5, 2019 position of Jammu and Kashmir.
The latest decision to reserve jobs for residents of Ladakh region is another half-hearted attempt of the BJP government as it didn’t even bother to consult two functional hill development councils in the region, former legislator Tarigami said in a statement here on Wednesday.
CPI(M) stand on J&K Re-organisation Act-2019 through which the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded and divided into two Union Territories – J&K and Ladakh – is clear that it was unconstitutional, arbitrary and against the interests of the people of the region. The party has already challenged it in the Supreme Court, he said.
Mr Tarigami said Article 35-A, which was scrapped by the BJP government along with the Article 370 on August 5, 2019 unconstitutionally, was there to protect the land and job rights of people of residents of all three regions of the erstwhile state. The unconstitutional decision harmed the interests of people of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh equally.
There is no clarity in the latest order issued by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh whether those applying for jobs will have to submit permanent residence certificates, as was the practice prior to 2019, or domicile certificate. Unlike Ladakh, the recruitment rules framed for J&K last year allowed all domiciles, even those who have been living in J&K for more than seven years or studying in the UT up to class 12, as eligible to apply for jobs, he said.
Already a lot of corporate sector companies are working in Ladakh region and limited employment opportunities in the region have been provided to the outsiders through them.
‘We once again reiterate that if the BJP government wants to correct its wrongs, it should restore the pre- 5 August 2019 position of J&K. Taking half-hearted decisions to appease one region or one community won’t work,’ the CPI(M) leader said.
