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| Has Delimitation Commission rejected demand of PoJK seats? | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 8: Notwithstanding demand of the BJP to de-freeze eight out of total 24 seats reserved for Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the Delimitation Commission has already rejected this demand earlier.
As per letter written by Brijesh Kumar, under secretary to one leader of PoJK refugees on January 12, 2021, seats reserved for PoJK areas would remain “reserved and freeze”.
This letter has been in the circulation of social media. In the letter, the officer quoted some sections of the J&K Reorganization Act to reject the demand of de-freezing eight seats.
The BJP demanded de-freezing of assembly seats reserved for the areas of post-1947 undivided J&K, presently under the illegal occupation of Pakistan.
BJP raised this demand during meeting with the members of the Delimitation Commission at Jammu on Thursday. Apart from demanding de-freezing of reserved seats, party also sought to draw attention of the visiting panel that population should not be the only criteria for redrawing assembly constituencies.
Before bifurcation of erstwhile state of J&K into two Union Territories (UTs) there were 111 assembly seats (87 plus 24 seats, which were kept vacant for the residents of PoJK). After bifurcation of J&K, total 107 seats, including 24 reserved have been left.
According to Section 60 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, “...the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be increased from 107 to 114...”
Out of these, 24 seats are in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. So effectively, the seats will go up from 83 to 90.
“Union Government is of the view that PoJK is a part of the country and will be reclaimed. That is why these seats are left vacant in the J&K Assembly”, BJP leaders said.
One third population from PoJK is living in Jammu province so PoJK refugees have a claim on the seats kept vacant for them in the Legislative Assembly to ensure proportional representation. Out of total 24 reserved seats, they demanded that at-least eight should be defreezed.
Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affair, in its 183rd report- regarding problems faced by refugees and displaced persons of J&K, tabled on the floor of the House on December 22, 2014, had recommended de-freezing of eight ‘reserved’ seats.
“Representatives of the PoJK displaced persons were of the view that eight seats out of 24 Legislative Assembly seats which are designated for the territorial constituencies of the State that lie in Pakistan Occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) should be de-freeze in favour of displaced persons. The Committee considers that the Government of India should take up the matter of de-freezing of 8 seats for POJK displaced persons with the State Government of J&K keeping in view the problems being faced by displaced persons. The Ministry may impress upon the State Government to make amendments in the State Constitution, if necessary, at the earliest”, the panel had suggested in its report.
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