Sajad Lone, president of the Peoples Conference, presented a 20‑page note to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly on March 15, 2024, accusing the state administration of skewing Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificates so that 92% of 26,000 issued in the past two years were awarded in Jammu, leaving only 8% for the Kashmir Valley.
The note cites that 55% of the valley’s population falls below the below‑poverty‑line (BPL) threshold, yet only 2,000 certificates have been issued there compared with 24,000 in Jammu, a region with a 45% BPL rate.
Sajad Lone also highlighted that the eligibility for an EWS certificate hinges on owning a residential plot larger than 3.68 marla, a measure that excludes the valley’s poorest families, many of whom possess smaller holdings.
UT Minister for Education and Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo, conceded a discrepancy in the criteria but stressed that any changes would need the central government's approval, as the eligibility framework is set by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The government reported that of the 7,580 job vacancies filled in the last two years, 697 of the 758 EWS slots went to Jammu, while only 61 found homes in the valley. If the revised policy— which would allocate 10% of 49,672 vacancies to EWS— is approved, it could increase opportunities for the valley’s 4,967 eligible candidates.
The central cabinet is scheduled to review the proposed changes on April 12, 2024, after the J&K government's submission, marking the next critical step in resolving the quota imbalance.