Early Times Report
Jammu, June 8: The talk of delimitation has triggered an interesting and fierce debate in Jammu & Kashmir. Fierce debate because almost all leaders in Kashmir have opposed tooth and nail the idea of de novo delimitation of assembly constituencies in the state. Interesting because politically conscious people of Jammu province cutting across party lines are working hard to tell the authorities that the 1995 delimitation, which was based on the 1981 census figures, and not the 2001 census figures, and which had taken into consideration only population criteria, was highly Valley-centric and unfair as far as Jammu was concerned.
The agitated people of Jammu are taking the "biased authorities" to task saying that Kashmir was given excessive representation in the assembly and Jammu was not even given its due share of representation. They do make a point.
Just a comparison between Jammu province's Jammu district and Kashmir's Srinagar district will put things in perspective and establish that the 1995 delimitation commission report was "fraud" committed on the people of Jammu province.
Jammu district has 10,10,959 voters. It consists of 11 constituencies. The land area of the district is 2,336 sq km. The number of voters in the Gandhi Nagar assembly segment is 1,68,643; Jammu West 1,53,540; Raipur Domana 96,694; Akhnoor 94,419; Bishnah 89,188; RS Pura 77,134; Chhamb 72,413; Nagrota 72,156; Marh 71,361; Suchetgarh 62,095; and Jammu East 53,316.
What does all this suggest? It suggests that Jammu district elects 11 MLAs at the rate of one per 91,905 voters and 212 sq km area.
In contrast, Srinagar district has 6,25,801 voters. It consists of 8 assembly segments. The land area of Srinagar district is just 212 sq km - 2,124 sq km less than Jammu district. Batmaloo assembly constituency has 1,20,339 voters; Hazratbal 99,850; Amira Kadal 86,514; Sonawar 77,505; Zadibal 76,909; Eidgah 58,822; Habba Kadal 54,852; and Khaniyar 51,010. In other words, Srinagar district returns 8 members to the assembly at the rate of one per 78,225 voters and 26.4 sq km land area.
The story of other districts in Jammu province and Kashmir is no different. The point is that Jammu province will get 10 to 15 additional seats in case a fair delimitation is done and the number of seats in Kashmir will come down to 36 or 37. |
