Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the move and termed it as an appropriate step towards state's harmonious growth.
Ahead of the election season, the Jammu and Kashmir government has announced three per cent reservation for Pahari community in the restive state.
J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik give his assent to the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2014, providing reservation to the persons belonging to Pahari community — a clan or tribe that has a distinct cultural, ethnic and linguistic identity — in the government job sector.
The amendment provides for addition of a separate category of the persons belonging to Pahari community among the Socially and Educationally Backward classes (other than Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes). The methodology and authority for identification of Pahari Community shall be notified by the government soon.
An official spokesman said because of the remoteness and inaccessibility of the areas of their residence, the Pahari community has historically faced considerable economic distress leading to overall socio-economic backwardness.
"On one hand, they are not able to compete with other sections of the society who are better placed in terms of socio-economic position as well as access to services like education and healthcare. On the other hand, they are not able to derive any benefit even at the lower rung in respect of getting employment," said an official spokesman.
Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the move and termed it as an appropriate step towards state's harmonious growth.
The welfare legislation, the spokesman said, is aimed at providing job opportunities to the Pahari people residing in backward areas of the state. "This was a long pending demand of the people belonging to this group and will go a long way in improving their status, educational and job opportunities", he said.
Mehbooba congratulated the Pahari community for being granted the reservation, stating that the decision was taken by the PDP led government last year in February.
"PDP while being in the government had taken itself into account the social status of the Pahari community and always felt concerned about the problems faced by the educated youth from among them, more particularly in the back ground of their economic condition, social environment and lack of facilities to come up to the standards of competition of the times", she said.
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