Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir State
Advisory Board for Gujjars and Bakerwals (SABGB) on Tuesday sought
the intervention of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in ensuring
an end to "discrimination" allegedly being meted out to the
candidates of the community by recruiting agencies in the
state.
"Gujjars and Bakerwals constitute more than 80 per
cent of tribal population (Schedule Tribes) but they get less
than 20 per cent from over all ST quota which is unjust and
discriminatory," vice-chairman of the SABGB Bashir Ahmad Naz
told the Chief Minister during a meeting here.
Raising the issues regarding alleged discrimination
of Gujjars and Bakerwals in recent recruitments conducted by
the state Public Service Commission, Service Selection
Recruitment Board and State Police under Scheduled Tribe
category, Naz requested the Chief Minister to intervene in the
matter and direct recruitment agencies to shun their "unfair
approach" towards the community.
He alleged that his tribes have been "ignored" and
"pushed to the wall" by selectors.
Quoting an example from the recruitment conducted by
State Police where only 10 Gujjar candidates have been
selected as Sub Inspectors, Naz said a total of 52 seats under
ST category were available and the selection of only 10
candidates left the community "disheartened".
"Selecting candidates from others tribes in ST
category at the cost of Gujjars and Bakerwals is unjust and
intolerable," he said, adding that the state Public Service
Commission is also bent upon to suppress the rights of Gujjars
and Bakerwals who fall under reserved ST category.
He said there are a number of example in PSC where
Gujjar candidates were sidelined.
Giving the example of the list of English lecturers
released by PSC recently, Naz said under ST Category a total
14 candidates were selected, but seven of them belong to Shina
tribe of Gurez and Kargil.
"In the same list, only two candidate belong to Gujjar
Bakerwal tribe and as per our share, Gujjars deserve 10 out of
14 seats, he added.
He said that recently the PSC selected seven Munisifs
under ST category but only three belong to Gujjar community
whereas as per population they should be at least five out of
seven.
PTI
