Early Times Report
Jammu, July 20: Reserved Backward Area (RBA) category women along with men today staged protest demonstration outside Press Club Jammu, to press the government to remove alleged step motherly treatment meted out with them by putting bar on the women folk with regard to their legitimate rights.
The protesters said that inspite of the assurance by Minister for Social Welfare Department in the recently concluded Legislative Assembly Session on behalf of question raised by the then MLA Jugal Kishore that "the prescribed length of 15 years bar is required to be reduced in respect of the females getting married in RBA/ALC area is being examined", but till date no further action has been taken by the Government. The protest was held under the leadership of Kewal Sharma, Advocate Rajesh Thappa, who while addressing the protestors said since independence the State rulers had been ignoring the due share of State RBA Community. Rajesh Thappa, Kewal Sharma and other speakers also made specific mention of injustice to fairer sex, pin pointing if a non RBA girl marries to a RBA person she has to wait for a long 15 years to get RBA Category Certificate as per existing law, which is really a cruel joke with the women folk living in backward areas. "We are also demanding a separate Board on the pattern of SC/ST/OBC Advisory Board and Enhancement of Income Slab 4.50 lacs to 7.00 lacs. The protestors said that their issues are neglected as there is no monitoring/governing body for the RBA Community. The speakers also demanded their due share in every field. They warned the State rulers to grant their due share or be ready to face the music in the coming Assembly elections", they said. |
