The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday issued a notification specifying the conditions for obtaining domicile certificates necessary for applying for government jobs and other privileges in the newly created Union Territory (UT).
Under the Domicile Rules all those persons and their children who have resided for 15 years in J&K or have studied for seven years and appeared in class 10th or 12th examination in an educational institution in the UT are eligible for grant of domicile.
Children of central Government officials, All India service officers, officials of PSUs and autonomous body of Central government, public sector banks, officials of statutory bodies, officials of Central universities and recognized research institutes of the Central government, who have served in the Union territory for a total period of ten years will also be eligible for domicile status.
Besides, all those migrants and their children who are registered with Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner will be granted a Domicile certificate. Children of those residents of Jammu and Kashmir who reside outside the Union territory in connection with their employment of business or other professional or vocational reasons have also become eligible for grant of domicile status.
The details of the notification were shared with the media by government spokesman Rohit Kansal at a press conference in Jammu. The domicile rules notified now replace the erstwhile J&K permanent resident rules that stood abrogated along with the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.
The rules provide a simple and time bound procedure for the issuance of the Domicile certificate so that no one is put to any inconvenience. There shall be a timeline of 15 days for issuance of the certificate after which the applicant shall be free to approach an Appellate Authority. The decision of the Appellate Authority shall be binding upon the issuing authority and the orders are to be complied within seven days, failing which the defaulting officer shall be liable for a penalty of Rs 50,000 out of his salary.
The rules have a provision that applications for grant of Domicile Certificate can be submitted either physically or electronically online. The Competent Authority can also issue domicile certificate(s) electronically.
Kashmiri migrants can get the Domicile certificate on production of either a PRC or certificate of registration of migrants. As a result of the new rules and procedure, West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs), Safai Karamcharis and children of women married outside Jammu and Kashmir who were earlier deprived shall also be now eligible for Domicile certificate.
WPRs were part of the Parliamentary electoral roll but not that erstwhile state electoral roll. They will now be covered under the 15 year residence rule or their children under the 7 year/ class 10/12 rule.