The District Magistrate/ the deputy commissioner throughout Jammu Kashmir are witnessing a massive rush of applicants as the Delhi-led administration has already issued Domicile certificates, one of them is a top IAS Official, Navin Kumar Choudhary, from Bihar.
This fresh domicile law which was brought into force after the Indian Government led by Narendra Modi abrogated the special status of Jammu Kashmir, in August 2019, the state was put under a lock-down and bifurcated.
Communication was snapped across this Himalayan region, as the Government promised that the move was undertaken majorly to ensure development in Jammu Kashmir.
Earlier citizens who were Non-Kashmiris could not buy land or have access to state jobs in the region, This domicile certificate—however allows non-locals to get a residency certificate for education, employment and buying land—in Jammu Kashmir.
Highly places Sources within the administration told The Kashmiriyat that around 25,000 people have been granted the domicile certificates as of now, which includes a vast chunk in the Jammu region.
“The Tehsildars have been threatened to be fined, if they delay the process of issuing certificates,” the sources said, adding, “we are witnessing a massive rush of people amid covid-19, many people are also applying online for the Domicile certificates.”
According to this new J&K Grant Domicile Law, all those who have been living in Jammu Kashmir for more than 15 years can apply for the certificate.
He said that so far the administration has received over 30,000 applications for domicile certificates while more than 25,000 people have already been granted the citizenship certificate.
“We have got most number of application in the Jammu region while we have received only 720 applications in the Kashmir valley,” Sources said.
So far in Kashmir, the highest number of forms have been received in Pulwama (153), Islamabad (Anantnag) (106), Kulgam (90), Shopian (2o) Baramulla (39), Kupwara (10), Bandipora (10), while ten forms have been received from Budgam, Ganderbal and Srinagar.