J&K’s poverty puzzle: Why EWS data says 92% of poor are in Jammu, 8% in Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is facing criticism over the distribution of government jobs based on the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation policy. MLA Sajad Lone from Handwara questioned the government's method of defining poverty, asserting that 92% of poor individuals reside in Jammu, while only 8% are in Kashmir.

The controversy stems from amendments to the J&K Reservation Rules in March 2024, which increased the reservation for Scheduled Tribes from 10% to 20% after amending the ST list. This change raised the total reservation share to around 70%, leaving 30% for open-merit candidates. Protesters, including open-merit students, argued for a 50:50 split between reserved and open-merit categories.

The government has formed a sub-committee to review the reservation policy, but a resolution has not yet been reached. Lone further questioned the accuracy of the EWS criteria, comparing it to the Priority Household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration card system. According to Lone, the PHH/AAY criteria suggest that 55% of the poor live in Kashmir, compared to 45% in Jammu.

This discrepancy in definitions of poverty raises concerns about the government's spending on subsidies for the poor and the allocation of government jobs.