Srinagar, Oct 1: Peoples Conference president and Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone on Thursday questioned the Jammu and Kashmir Government’s criteria for identifying economically weaker sections (EWS), arguing that the Union Territory appears to be using two different definitions of poverty.
In a post on X, Lone contrasted the distribution of EWS certificates with the number of households covered under Priority Household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration cards.
According to figures cited by Lone, 92 per cent of EWS certificates are issued in Jammu region and only 8 per cent in Kashmir, which, he said, would imply a similarly disproportionate distribution of economically weaker people between the two regions.
He contrasted this with PHH/AAY ration-card figures, which he said show 37.71 lakh beneficiaries in Kashmir against 29.81 lakh in Jammu.
“How is it possible to have two definitions of poverty by the same government?” Lone asked, questioning why a PHH/AAY ration card is accepted as proof of economic vulnerability for subsidised food and by premier health institutions, but not for EWS eligibility in government recruitment.
Lone attributed the sharp regional difference in EWS certification to the asset-based criteria used for determining eligibility. He specifically questioned the property-related criteria, arguing that a residential house exceeding the prescribed limit can exclude applicants even when they remain economically disadvantaged.
He also linked the issue to government recruitment, citing figures from the ongoing Assembly session showing that 7,580 government job vacancies have been filled over the last two years.
With EWS having a 10 per cent reservation, Lone calculated that around 758 positions would fall under the category. Based on the EWS certificate distribution, he said about 697 would go to Jammu and 61 to Kashmir.
Using PHH/AAY figures instead, he calculated that the distribution would be approximately 341 jobs for Jammu and 417 for Kashmir.
Lone further cited government figures showing 49,672 vacancies yet to be filled, saying the 10 per cent EWS quota would account for around 4,967 posts.
Under the existing EWS distribution, he calculated that around 4,569 posts would go to Jammu and 398 to Kashmir, while a PHH/AAY-based distribution would result in approximately 2,235 posts for Jammu and 2,732 for Kashmir.
Lone argued that the disparity warranted a review of the existing criteria and said the government should examine the systems followed by other states.
He said the Speaker had directed that the matter be examined and that the government study EWS criteria used elsewhere.
“The asset based criteria has to be changed,” Lone said, adding that while the government maintains that changing the criteria is not within its domain, he disagrees.
Lone said a uniform definition of poverty was needed to ensure that people identified as poor for welfare benefits were not treated differently when seeking government employment.
