SRINAGAR: The State Administrative Council (SAC) headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik in Jammu and Kashmir is planning a major change in the existing law for acquiring Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs), which is a sensitive issue.
“There was a feeling in the Revenue Department that the existing process (of granting PRCs) has some impediments. They have been asked to tell us the impediments they are facing. The aim is to bring in transparency,” told a senior functionary in the administration on a condition of anonymity to The Sunday Express.
He added, “We are only consulting people within the administration because we had reports of undue delays in the grant of PRCs. We haven’t made any changes to the procedure as yet.”
Promulgated through a Presidential order in 1954, Article 35A empowers the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature to define the permanent residents of the state and also provide special rights and privileges to them.
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The Malik-led regime’s move to “change and ease” procedures for issuing PRC, a certificate issued to domicile citizens of J&K, has also caused suspicion in the minds of people.
The Governor’s Administration on Saturday took a slew of decisions that led to sparked sharp reactions from the Valley’s regional parties warning the Governor Malik against “fiddling” with the existing state laws.
“Mr, Malik is going into the most crucial and important territory of PRC, which could further disturb the situation on the ground. It is well advised to the Governor administration not to fiddle with existing systems and procedures,” said Abdul Haq Khan, general secretary of the PDP, reported The Hindu.
“The system of granting the PRC is an established practice and should not be diluted at any cost. This is a matter of the identity of the State and any attempt to relax it will meet with resistance. It can open a Pandora box if the procedure is relaxed in any way,” he added.