Jammu, Feb 27: The Delimitation Commission is likely to reserve around 18 Assembly seats out of a total of 90 for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from constituencies with maximum population of the two communities.
According to the official sources who are in know of things, for the first time STs will get reservation, the Assembly of erstwhile State of J&K had reserved seven seats for SC.
” 11 seats could be reserved for Scheduled Tribes and seven for Scheduled Castes,” Sources said.
If sources are to be believed that 72 constituencies will be open.
“Delimitation Commission will decide about the seats after taking several criterion into consideration including population of the two communities,” sources said.
Social Tribe populated Assembly segments mostly fall in Kashmir division besides Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu region.
Recently the posts of Chairpersons of the District Development Councils (DDCs), Rajouri and Poonch districts were reserved for Scheduled Tribes and DDC Poonch was reserved for ST Woman.
Seven seats were reserved in the last Assembly for Scheduled Castes include Chhamb, Domana, RS Pura, Samba, Hiranagar, Chenani and Ramban.
While splitting Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories through the Reorganization Act, the Union Home Ministry had increased Assembly seats of Jammu and Kashmir by seven taking total seats to 114-24 of which are reserved for Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) while election will be held for 90 seats.
Erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir had 111 seats including 24 reserved for PoK while elections were held for 87 seats. With creation of Ladakh as Union Territory, four seats of the region were reduced and the Assembly was left with 83 seats. However, with increase of seven seats, J&K UT will have an Assembly of 90 seats. Two Women MLAs will be nominated to the House, which was the position earlier also.
In the previous Assembly, Kashmir had 46 seats, Jammu 37 and Ladakh four.
Elections to the Legislative Assembly will be held only after delimitation of Assembly constituencies is completed, sources said. (KNS)
