12.5 Lakh Domicile Certificates Issued So Far in Jammu and Kashmir

SRINAGAR: The J&K government on Tuesday disclosed that the authorities have so far issued 12.5 lakh domicile certificates and nearly 99% of those received such certificates are permanent resident certificate (PRC) holders and migrant Kashmiri Pandits.
Addressing a press conference here, principal secretary (information department) Rohit Kansal said the process of issuance of domicile certificates is picking up pace.
“About 12.5 lakh domicile certificates have been issued so far. Over 99% of those issued certificates are erstwhile PRC holders and Kashmiri Pandit migrants. The process of issuance will be further accelerated and the issuance will be monitored to ensure that pendency is brought down to the lowest,” Kansal, who is also the government spokesman, informed.
He added that so far 11,398 West Pakistan refugees, 415 Valmiki community members, 10 Gorkha community members and 12,340 registered migrants have been issued domicile certificates.
On the domicile certificate procedure, he said the government had notified the Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2020, which is the basic eligibility condition for appointment to any post under the Union Territory of J&K following amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralization and Recruitment) Act, 2010.
Kansal reaffirmed that the rules provide a simple and time-bound procedure for the issuance of domicile certificates so that no one is put to any inconvenience. That apart, there is a provision for an appellate authority with revisional powers, whose orders will be binding.
“The rules have a provision that applications for grant of domicile certificate can be submitted either physically or electronically online. The competent authority can also issue domicile certificates electronically,” he said.
He further said that the permanent residents of the erstwhile state of J&K in whose favour PRCs were issued by the competent authority before October 31, 2019, shall be eligible for receiving their domicile certificates on the basis of PRCs alone and no other additional document shall be required for such residents.

Source: ToI