Govt Working On Framing Domicile Norms For Jammu And Kashmir

Union minister Jitendra Singh hit out at those raking up the issue of safeguards over domicile in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday and said the region would have those appropriate for a Union Territory (UT).

The minister’s comments come in the context of fears that government jobs and land-ownership, hitherto reserved for locals would now be grabbed by outsiders. Many Indian states have so-called domicile requirements to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Indeed, the UT’s administration and the union home ministry are in talks to finalise rules regarding domicile , especially with an eye on protecting land rights, a home ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

The government is already working to protect the rights of the locals as regards land ownership, industries and jobs, the state BJP’s chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi said in a statement.

Among the options under consideration is a mandatory requirement of 15-year residency in the UT to be eligible for government jobs and owning land.

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