For claiming the benefits of Pahari speaking people (PSP) category, a person must be a member of the Pahari clan, community or tribe having a distinct cultural, ethnic and linguistic identity

In a bid to extend reservation benefits to Pahari speaking population in the Union Territory, Lt. Governor Girish Chandra Murmu approved various amendments in the reservation rules Thursday.

Pointing out that these Pahari speaking people are spread over areas like in Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla, Kupwara districts, besides some pockets of Anantnag, Budgam, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian, an official statement said the decision came at a meeting of Administrative Council chaired by UT’s Lt Governor G C Murmu.

After the reorganisation of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union Territories and the enactment of Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2004, it had become imperative to rationalize the existing reservation percentage available to different categories so as to include Pahari speaking people into the category of socially and educationally backward classes.

As per existing reservation rules, the Scheduled Castes have eight per cent reservation indirect recruitment, scheduled tribes (10 percent), weaker and underprivileged classes (two per cent), residents of areas adjoining Line of Actual Control/International Border (3 percent), residents of backward areas (20 percent), besides horizontal reservation of 6 per cent to ex-servicemen and 3 per cent to physically challenged persons.

Following rationalisation of the percentage of reservation of different categories indirect recruitment, the residents of backward areas will now have 10 per cent reservation, Pahari speaking people (4 percent) and Economically weaker sections (10 percent).

For claiming the benefit of Pahari speaking people (PSP) category, a person must be a member of the Pahari Clan, Community or Tribe having distinct cultural, ethnic and linguistic identity; must be speaking Pahari language and his/her mother tongue must be Pahari. He/She must possess a valid identity proof which can be either an Aadhar Card or Domicile Certificate. Tehsildar shall be competent authority to certify the claim of persons belonging to PSP.