Sopore, Oct 04: Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Sunday said the government has been asked to examine allegations of regional imbalance in the issuance of Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) certificates and take corrective measures wherever required.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Sopore, Rather said the issue needed serious examination to ensure that no section of society faced injustice.
“Yes, I have directed the government to examine the same wherever there is scope of improvement to avoid injustice to any section of society,” he said.
The issue was raised during the recently concluded Autumn Session of the J&K Legislative Assembly after Peoples Conference president and MLA Sajad Gani Lone moved a Calling Attention Motion over alleged disparities in the issuance of EWS certificates across different regions.
Lone had sought corrective measures to ensure equitable access to benefits available under the EWS category, alleging regional imbalance in the issuance of such certificates.
On the use of Kashmiri in Assembly proceedings, Rather said efforts were underway to establish a mechanism for translation, noting that the absence of translators currently prevented legislators’ interventions in Kashmiri from being officially recorded.
“The government has to look into many angles. Currently we don’t have any translator in the Assembly, which often becomes a hurdle in speaking in Kashmiri. Efforts are on to address this concern in future,” Rather said.
The Speaker clarified that he had not barred any legislator from speaking in Kashmiri, saying the issue was limited to recording the remarks in the absence of a translator.
“I told those who tried to speak in Kashmiri language that they can use the language but it can’t be recorded as we don’t have a translator in the Assembly currently,” he said.
The issue came to the fore after NC legislator Mubarak Gul spoke in Kashmiri during the Autumn Session but was informed that his remarks could not be recorded due to the absence of a translator.
Rather said efforts were being made to address the issue and facilitate the use of Kashmiri in Assembly proceedings in the future.
The Speaker was speaking after attending the ‘Youm-i-Meeras’ programme organised in Sopore to pay tribute to late Atiqa Bano and her contribution to preserving Kashmir’s cultural and educational heritage through the Meeras Mahal Museum.
The programme was organised by Majlis-un-Nisa, Jammu & Kashmir, Sopore, in collaboration with Adbi Markaz Kamraz J&K.
MLA Sopore Irshad Rasool Kar and Convenor INTACH J&K chapter Mohammad Saleem Beigh were among those present, besides several writers and intellectuals.
