Delimitation panel meets citizens, civil society groups in Srinagar

Commission got 409 objections to its draft proposal of assembly and parliamentary constituencies

SRINAGAR: The Delimitation Commission on Tuesday met several public delegations in Srinagar which had come from different districts of Kashmir to highlight the discrepancies in the draft proposal.

In a communication, the Delimitation Commission had earlier decided to hold public sittings at Jammu and Srinagar on March 4 and 5. As per the communication, the commission had received 409 suggestions or objections to its draft proposal of assembly and parliamentary constituencies. The suggestions and objections were sought from people till March 21.

The commission in its notification had said that all the objections and suggestions are under consideration. Abdul Hameed Rather, a social activist who led the delegation from Pattan, said only four hours were given to dozens of delegations which had come to register their objections.

‘“For this exercise, the commission should have given more time to the public delegations. Our villages of Pattan were included in newly created constituency Kunzer without any geographical considerations. Unfortunately, they have not done it as per scientific approach. We registered our objection, but have little hope with the commission,” he said soon after the meeting at SKICC. A delegation from Devsar led by members of the Auqaf Committee also met the commission .

“Our village in the new delimitation process has been placed in a constituency which is 30km away from us,” they said.

The Commission on Tuesday met the delegations and individuals from Srinagar, Budgam, Anantnag, Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla districts.

The Commission had on March 3 released the draft report for public remarks.

There wasn’t much difference between the first and second draft proposals that were given to associate members of the commission. However, in the new report, names of some assembly constituencies have been kept the same as they were in the erstwhile state.

In the first draft proposal, the commission had proposed six seats for the Jammu division and one for Kashmir, and it has been not changed in the fresh draft proposal published in gazettes.

Likewise, in the second draft, some parts of Rajouri and Poonch districts that are part of the Jammu division had been included in the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat and that too has been left without any change, despite strong objections from three National Conference MPS.

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) had termed the delimitation process ‘unconstitutional’ and said the exercise was being done under the J&K Reorganisation Act, which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. The alliance, however, said they were not against the delimitation process.

NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq claimed they didn’t receive any call from the commission.

“We had already sent in our memo rejecting their report then. We expected them to take our genuine concerns on board and take corrective measures. There is a clear bias in the report when you see how they have drafted it. How can you have different yardsticks for Jammu and Kashmir. It shows there is a clear intent to benefit a particular party,” he added.

A J&K administration spokesperson said that during the public sittings, the main points of sall representations were read out and the delegations concerned were given opportunity to highlight any additional points for the consideration of the commission.

THE COMMISSION IN ITS NOTIFICATION HAD SAID THAT ALL THE OBJECTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION