Restore pre-act reservation status in J

Srinagar, Aug 30 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (LA) speaker Tara Chand today directed the government to provide reservation to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribe and other backward classes on the basis they were getting in the past.

The direction came after members of different backward classes raised the issue in the House during Zero-hour.

Mrs Suman Lata Bhagat, raising the issue, said people belonging to SC,ST and other backward classes were being ignored in appointments and promotions.

She was joined by other members from the backward classes, including Nazir Gurazi who alleged that government has failed to implement the Act passed in the house on the reservation issue.

Minister for Health Mangat Ram Sharma admitted that there were some mistakes in the SRO-293.

He said it was necessary to restore the percentage to each category as they were getting before the Act.

''We want to restore quota to each SC, ST and other backward classes to the point they were enjoying in the past,'' Mr Sharma said.

However, when members protested against the delay in issuing the order, he said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has already been informed about it.

We assure the house that Mr Azad will issue the orders in this direction within a fortnight,'' he said.

''If you fail to implement it now, people from these backward classes will vote against you'', the members said.

However, the Speaker intervened and directed the government to see that there is no discrimination against people of any class and they get equal percentage as they were enjoying before the Act.

UNI