Srinagar, Mar 15: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday clarified that the Cabinet Sub-Committee tasked with examining reservation policies in recruitment has been given a six-month deadline to complete its report. This statement came after a written reply in the J&K Assembly caused confusion regarding the committee’s timeline.
The response, provided by the Minister in charge of Social Welfare, had stated that there was no specific timeline set for the committee to submit its report, leading to strong reactions from various quarters, including students, job aspirants, and political figures.
In a series of clarifications posted on X (formerly Twitter), Omar Abdullah explained, “I personally set the six-month timeline after meeting with a group of concerned job aspirants. However, this deadline was not included in the original order setting up the sub-committee. That oversight will be corrected, but rest assured, the committee is working to complete its task within the set timeframe.”
The confusion sparked strong reactions, with Member of Parliament Syed Agha Ruhullah Mehdi expressing his shock on social media. “I hope the line stating ‘no specific timeline has been fixed’ is either a clerical error or a miscommunication between the department and the Chief Minister’s office,” he wrote. Ruhullah emphasized that if the response was accurate, it would amount to a betrayal of the students who had trusted the government’s earlier assurances.
Ruhullah added that he had refrained from commenting after the Chief Minister’s earlier assurance, but the assembly’s reply had left him “shocked.” He vowed to revisit the matter, stating, “I will not remain silent. I will take up the issue from where I left it after the CM’s assurance to the students.”
The controversy was further fueled by the initial reply, which failed to specify a deadline, leading to criticism from students and aspirants who had hoped for a clear, definitive timeline. With the latest clarification from the Chief Minister, it is expected that tensions may ease, as the government works to meet the six-month timeline.
The Cabinet sub-committee is now expected to proceed with its work, examining the complexities of the reservation issue in recruitment within the established six-month deadline.
