Jammu and Kashmir High Court: Tashi Rabstan, J. addressed a matter wherein 100 % reservation in public employment for J&K domiciles in the UT has been challenged.
Petitioner’s 1 and 3 are domiciles of the State of Haryana and Petitioner 2 a permanent resident of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir who is now a resident of UT of Ladakh.
Petitioners challenged Sections 3A, 5A, 6, 7, and 8 of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralization and Recruitment) Act, 2010, on the ground that the same is violative of Article 14, 16, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
Petitioner contended that Parliament has never delegated the law-making power of Article 16(3) of Constitution to the Central Government under Section 96 of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019.
“…power delegated under Section 96 was only for the purpose of facilitating the applications of already prevailing law in former State of Jammu and Kashmir or to make laws applicable to new Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.”
Further, it was contended that the power delegated under Section 96 shall not be in any manner construed as a delegation of parliamentary power of Article 16(3) of the Constitution of India.
By amending Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralization and Recruitment) Act, 2010 by two executive orders dated 31-03-2020 and 03-04-2020, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has debarred the non-domiciles from employment in J&K.
After the amendment in Section 96, the term “Permanent Resident of J&K” was replaced by “Domiciles” of UT of J&K.
Court directed for issuance of notice to the respondents. Matter to be listed on 03-09-2020. [Nishant Khatri v. UOI, 2020 SCC OnLine J&K 380, decided on 04-08-2020]
