STEER CLEAR OF PRC: LONE, OMAR TO GUV
Say it is detrimental to J&K’s special status
Former CM and NC leader Omar Abdullah and People Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Sunday raised strong objection to governor Satya Pal Malik-led-administration’s reported plan to change the rules for issuance of permanent resident certificate (PRC).
SRINAGAR:Former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Sunday alleged that governor Satya Pal Malik-led-administration’s plan reportedly to change the rules for issuance of permanent resident certificate(PRC) was aimed at “distorting the demography” of Jammu and Kashmir.
People Conference president Sajad Gani Lone also urged the governor’s administration to “restrict itself to basic governance” and “don’t invent new problems” for the state.
Abdullah wrote a letter to Malik and uploaded it on social media. He said that he was forced to put the letter out through social media as the fax machine at the governor house was still not working.
“We are obligated to write to you at a time when you are mulling changes to the permanent resident certificate rules. Our party, the National Conference, is of the opinion that this is an attempt to distort the demography of the state and finds it detrimental to J&K’s special status,” Abdullah said in a letter to the governor.
“We hope that you roll back any decision made in this regard immediately. We also want to convey and register our displeasure and a unanimous decision to oppose this move,” the letter stated.
Asserting that the SAC was “unilaterally bringing changes” in the working of institutions and procedures in the state, the NC leader said that the change of procedures of issuing PRC was “objectionable and condemnable”.
“The assembly has been dissolved and elections are due within months. This makes the move of your administration open to question as we believe the role of the government is more in the nature of a caretaker government,” Abdullah said.
He said “any misadventure could disturb the fragile and precarious peace” in the sensitive state of Jammu and Kashmir.
DON’T INVENT NEW PROBLEMS: SAJAD LONE
Sajad Gani Lone also took to Twitter and rebuked the governor’s administration.
“The governor’s administration needs to restrict itself to basic governance. No structural changes pertaining to PRC or J&K Bank are acceptable. Restrict your energies to what you are mandated to do— which incidentally you are not doing. Please don’t invent new problems,” Lone wrote on Twitter.
News reports suggested a plan to bring change in the existing laws for acquiring PRCs in J&K. It was not clear what changes are being mulled.The alleged move comes ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing on a bunch of petitions scheduled in January, 2019, against Article 35A of the Constitution.
GUV REFUTES PLANS TO CHANGE PRC RULES
Governor Satya Pal Malik while responding to Abdullah’s letter wrote: “At the outset I would like to mention that the government is not making or even considering any changes to the act governing PRC in the state. It is an integral part of the legal structure of J&K and there is no attempt whatsoever to tamper with this law.”
He said they were seeking comments from people for hassle free issuance of the certificates to the genuine residents.
“It has been observed that many genuine applicants face avoidable difficulties in getting a PRC within 30 days from the date of application.There have also been complaints that the issuance of these certificates gets delayed due to a variety of procedural reasons. It is in this context of having a hassle-free process for bona-fide applicants that I believe the revenue has sought comments from a few others,” the governor said.
The state came under the governor’s rule on June 20 after the BJP’s move to end the coalition government with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).An attempt to form government by the NC, PDP and the Congress failed last month when Malik dissolved the assembly in a late night move.
On November 22, the governor’s decision to treat the J&K Bank as a Public Sector Udertaking created an uproar in the restive state, with political parties and civil society accusing the governor of trampling the autonomy of the institute and fiddling with the special status of J&K.