The Union Government on Wednesday said that statehood to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir would be granted at an "appropriate time".
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai admitted in the Rajya Sabha that the Minister of Home Affairs had stated in Parliament that the statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir would be restored.
In a written reply to a question of CPI (M) member Elamaram Kareem, the MoS Home said that decision to grant statehood to J&K would be taken at an appropriate time.
After the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two UTs of J&K and Ladakh.
The top leadership of the BJP has repeatedly promised to restore statehood to J&K at an appropriate time.
Delimitation Commission's recommendations notified
Responding to another query of the member, the Minister stated that the Delimitation Commission has notified orders on the 14th of March, 2022, and 5th of May, 2022 on the delimitation of the Parliamentary and Legislative Assembly constituencies of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a written reply to another CPI (M) John Brittas, the Minister said that against the previous number of 37 and 46 Assembly seats for the Jammu region and Kashmir region respectively, the Delimitation Commission has notified 43 seats for the Jammu region and 47 seats for the Kashmir region.
The Commission has also considered the representations for geographical areas having inadequate communication and lack of public conveniences due to their excessive remoteness or inhospitable conditions on the International Border.
The MoS informed the House that the Delimitation Commission conducted a delimitation exercise of the Union Territory of J&K based on the census data of the year 2011 & criteria prescribed under section 9(1)(a) of Delimitation Act, 2002 read with Section 60(2)(b) of J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019
Amit Shah promised statehood after delimitation, polls
During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir in October 2021 the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah had reiterated that the assembly elections will be held in the union territory after delimitation and restoration of statehood will follow.
Shah said he has made a promise in Parliament that the statehood of J&K would be restored and it would be done after the assembly elections.
"The youth of Kashmir will get opportunities, so a right delimitation will be done, which will be followed assembly elections, and then the status of the statehood will be restored. I have said this in the country's Parliament and this is the roadmap," he had stated in October 2021.
