Jammu, August 25: A delegation of the BJP OBC Morcha, Jammu & Kashmir, led by State President Braham Jyot Satti on Tuesday met Chairperson of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and submitted a memorandum highlighting several long-pending issues concerning the rights and welfare of OBC communities in Jammu & Kashmir.
The delegation comprised State General Secretaries Sunny Sangotra and Sham Mehra, State Executive Member Manohar Babar and District Vice President Ashish Kumar.
During the meeting, the delegation drew the attention of the NCBC Chairperson towards difficulties being faced by members of OBC communities, particularly those residing in urban areas of Jammu & Kashmir.
The delegation’s key demand was the removal of the “Rural Only” condition from the Central OBC List for four communities—Teli, Potter (Kumhar), Dhobi and Barber.
The delegation said the Government of Jammu & Kashmir has already recommended deletion of the “Rural Only” condition for these communities. It said the Social Welfare Department had forwarded the recommendation to the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, through a letter dated September 19, 2023.
According to the delegation, a reminder was also submitted to the office of the Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment on March 6, 2024, but the matter is yet to be resolved.
The delegation pointed out that members of these four communities are presently being issued OBC certificates only in rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir, creating a disparity for those residing in urban areas.
Braham Jyot Satti said the continuation of the restriction has deprived eligible OBC members living in urban areas of the benefits of reservation, constitutional safeguards and various welfare schemes.
The delegation urged the NCBC to facilitate the removal of the condition and allow eligible members of these communities to obtain OBC certificates irrespective of whether they reside in rural or urban areas.
Another major demand was an increase in the OBC creamy layer income limit from ₹8 lakh to ₹12 lakh per annum. The delegation said the revision was necessary in view of inflation, rising living costs and changing socio-economic conditions.
The delegation also requested the provision of laptops to financially weaker OBC students who have passed Class 12, stating that the initiative would support digital education, higher studies and access to online learning resources.
The delegation maintained that the proposed measures would contribute towards the educational, social and economic empowerment of OBC communities in Jammu & Kashmir.
Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured that the issues raised in the memorandum would be taken up and efforts would be made for their early resolution.
The BJP OBC Morcha delegation expressed gratitude to the NCBC Chairperson for considering their demands and hoped that concrete action would be initiated on the long-pending issues.
Key Demands
– Removal of the “Rural Only” condition from the Central OBC List for Teli, Potter (Kumhar), Dhobi and Barber communities.
– Issuance of OBC certificates to eligible members in urban areas of Jammu & Kashmir.
– Enhancement of the OBC creamy layer income limit from ₹8 lakh to ₹12 lakh per annum.
– Provision of laptops to financially weak OBC students who have passed Class 12 to support higher education and digital learning.
