Srinagar: A Private Member Bill introduced by Peoples Conference President Sajad Lone, and MLA Handwara, seeking to abolish the residential criteria attached to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation, is listed at Serial No. 16 among Private Member Bills for today’s sitting.
Confirming the development, the party’s political secretary to the president, Tasaduq Hussain, said the Bill takes aim at what he termed an arbitrary residential clause that has, for years, shut out economically disadvantaged families in Kashmir from EWS benefits in government jobs and educational admissions.
“This Bill seeks to end a discrimination that has deprived nearly 37 lakh souls in Kashmir of their rightful EWS entitlements,” Hussain said, adding that the residency requirement penalizes individuals who meet every economic criterion for EWS status but are excluded on procedural rather than merit-based grounds.
He added that by seeking removal of this clause, the Bill aims to align EWS implementation with its original constitutional intent while extending affirmative support to the economically weak.
Hussain described the move as a long-overdue correction, one meant to restore parity and ensure that geography does not override genuine economic need.
