Domicile law for Jammu and Kashmir coming very soon: Jitendra Singh

In a bid to address the concerns of the local populace after the revoking of Jammu and Kashmir's special status last year, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday assured the people of the Union Territory that the domicile law is coming "very soon" which would be followed by the Land Act.

He also announced that more than the promised jobs will be provided to the youth after the notification of the rules is worked out.

"The domicile act is coming very soon, which will be immediately followed by the Land Act," the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office said.

Many parties have been demanding enactment of a domicile law for Jammu and Kashmir to protect the interests of landowners and the unemployed youth after the erstwhile state lost its special status following nullification of Article 370 by the Centre.

Singh was addressing a function after signing of a major scientific collaboration agreement between CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, and IndusScan, a Canadian pharmaceutical company, here.

Describing the signing of the MoU as a "historic moment", the minister said Jammu and Kashmir's journey to become a part of India's five trillion global economy has started from the four walls of IIIM.

"...Prime Minister Narendra Modi is saying again and again that we would have the same kind of focus on Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as we did for North-East which saw major transformation over the last five years. Those who have doubts about it would see all this happening in a short while of time," he said.

The minister said this is possible because the "earlier embargoes have been removed" and the Union Territory is directly reporting to the Centre.

"Many of the politicians have become unemployed...heard yesterday one of them raising the issue of jobs to the local youth. I want to tell that more than the promised jobs will be advertised but as per the rules and in an impartial manner. We are waiting for a notification of the rules to come out," he said.

Alleging brazen disregard for the concerns of the educated unemployed and underemployed youth by the incumbent government, National Panthers Party Chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh had said not a single post, out of the promised 50,000 jobs, had been advertised for filling up in the new UT after the abrogation of Article 370 provisions.

"Everything will be done. It will not be like when your government was in power and ruined the future of the youths by backdoor appointments and corrupt practices. The youth who were provided jobs have turned 35 years but are still waiting for their regularisation," the Union minister said.

He said the jobs will be provided under rules which will be in the best interest of the youth and those who have been deprived of it.

Asserting that India is going through "one of the best phases under the leadership of Modi", he said a lot of development had taken place over the last five years and the country is looking forward to become a part of the global economy.

"On the one hand India is eyeing five trillion economy, don't you want that Jammu and Kashmir should also be part of that. It is possible only when our youth reaches such a stage to live up to the parameters which are followed globally and therefore, even if some of us have any doubts, confusion and skepticism or still unconvinced, ask themselves that don't you want your children to be part of five trillion economy.

"If you understand it, I think all the murmuring and whispering which is generated from thoughtless minds will vanish away," Singh said.

The minister said Jammu and Kashmir is also under the process of a new industrial policy and a new scientific policy.

"The greatest disadvantage that has happened from Jammu and kashmir remaining in isolation because of Article 370 is that we become lazy and lethargic. We learnt to live on easy freebies," he said.