Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 23

The Ministry of Home Affairs has given final touches to the domicile policy for Jammu and Kashmir and is expected to announce it soon, as a fulfilment of the Centre’s commitment to the protection of land and job rights of the people of the newly created union territory.

Sources familiar with the developments said the policy would ensure land rights and non-gazetted jobs to the residents of J&K who have been living in the erstwhile state for the past 15 years.

“It has been given the final touches, and may be announced anytime now,” a source told The Tribune on Thursday. It will guarantee right to own land and get government jobs, which were earlier available to only the permanent residents of J&K under Article 35 A.

With the implementation of the policy, these rights will now be available to all those residents who have lived in the UT for the past 15 years. Earlier, no outsider could have this privilege.

Under the new policy, the domicile certificate would be given to West Pakistan refugees, Valmikis and also to the IAS, IPS, IFS and other Central government officers who fulfil the required criterion.