Jammu, 04-03-2024: Jammu and Kashmir Border Area Development Conference, a registered organization working for the welfare of border residents & Schedule Tribes of J&K has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to expeditiously issue guidelines so that ST category certificates to Pahari tribes are also issued without any hurdle.
Pressing for its demand the organization informed that though the Parliament of India has passed the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act, 2024 and have included the Gadda Brahmin, Pahari Ethnic tribe, Koli, and Paddari community in the schedule list of tribal communities, moreover the gazette notification of the said act has been published last month but the necessary guidelines by the J & K administration for issuance of ST category certificates to newly inducted communities are awaited.
Dr Shazad Ahmed Malik, Chairman of the BADC and former Vice Chancellor averred that his organization (BADC) is receiving dozens of queries daily from the youth of the newly inducted communities about the procedure, guidelines, and checklist of documents required to get their ST Category Certificates.
The BADC Chairman requested Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary J & K, Secretary Social Welfare Department, and administrative Secretary J & K Tribal Affairs Department to expedite the process and issue necessary guidelines in this regard so that the members of the newly inducted communities in the ST list can get their Category certificates promptly. The former VC asserted that it would be most appropriate and just that these ST Category certificates to the newly inducted communities are issued before the start of the new academic session so that they may avail the benefits of relaxations of the same.