Govt Data Shows Wide Regional Gaps in Certificate Issuance | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Official statistics tabled by the Jammu and Kashmir Government in the Legislative Assembly have revealed sharp regional disparities in the issuance of welfare and reservation certificates between the Jammu and Kashmir divisions.

The data was presented in response to a cut motion moved by JKPC President and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone, and has now been formally recorded in the proceedings of the House. The figures indicate that the Jammu division accounts for a disproportionately high share of certificates across most categories.

As per the government data, 6,93,781 Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates have been issued in Jammu, accounting for more than 92 percent of the total, while Kashmir has recorded 56,189, or around 7 percent. In the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, Jammu has been issued 1,39,664 certificates—nearly 99 percent—compared to 1,755 in Kashmir.

In the Actual Line of Control (ALC) category, 6,732 certificates were issued in Jammu and 460 in Kashmir. For International Border (IB) certificates, all 3,690 were issued in Jammu, with none in Kashmir.

The trend continues in the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category, where 43,136 certificates were issued in Jammu—over 91 percent—while Kashmir accounted for 4,099. In the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, Jammu recorded 78,324 certificates compared to 52,652 in Kashmir.

Reserved Backward Area (RBA) certificates showed near parity, with 50,982 issued in Jammu and 49,866 in Kashmir.

Reacting to the figures, Sajad Lone said the data substantiates concerns he had repeatedly raised regarding regional imbalances. He termed the statistics documented evidence of disparity and called for policy-level interventions and institutional accountability to address what he described as systemic discrimination in access to welfare benefits and constitutional safeguards.