Controversial 'Inter-District Recruitment Bill' passed in J-K Assembly

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), Apr 9 (ANI): The controversial Inter-District Recruitment Bill' banning inter-district ecruitment was passed in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on riday, with an amendment in favour of person belonging to the ower castes.

The Bill exempts members of Scheduled Castes from its provisions, s they can now apply for jobs in other districts as well.

The Bill restricts applicants to apply for jobs in their home istricts only, which would affect the job opportunities of lower aste people of the Hindu-dominated Jammu region.

The Bill had earlier generated a lot of anger among the residents f Jammu.

The Panthers Party took credit for the amendment as it was mooted y it.

"We wanted that eight percent of the seats should be reserved for chedule Castes in every district of the state, so that the total eservation in the state would remain eight percent," said JKNPP eader Harshdev Singh.

"We are happy that this amendment was agreed on and that Schedule astes will now get eight percent reservation," he added.

The opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) also expressed its pinion about the amendment.

"The vacancies at district level are eyed by the applicants of hose districts. But the way the Amendment was bought into it, chedule Castes are our brothers. In the whole country, they get heir share in accordance to their population," said PDP chief ehbooba Mufti Sayeed.

"But the way they have forced, bulldozed it, I think this is very nfortunate," she added.

The Congress, which is alliance with the ruling National onference in Jammu and Kashmir, is divided over the issue, as ts Jammu-based legislators are opposed to the ban, while those rom valley support it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had called for a shutdown in the ammu region on Friday against the state government's decision to ass the Bill. (ANI)