New Delhi

The Jammu and Kashmir delimitation Commission has allayed the fears of politicians that it would allocate 24 seats earmarked for the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in its recommendation.

As the Delimitation commission ended the four-day visit to J&K, Chief Election Commissioner of India Sushil Chandra told media persons that taking a decision on the 24 seats reserved for the POK was not under its ambit and therefore these seats shall remain vacant.]

Chandra said the commission was only mandated to redraw the boundaries of the existing constituencies and its report will be based on the 2011 Census.

He said that Commission will also take into account the topography, difficult terrain, means of communication and convenience available while delimiting seven additional seats for Assembly of the Union Territory (UT), besides granting reservation to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Schedule Caste (SC) communities.

“As Supreme Court has said, delimitation is not a mathematical exercise. It must reflect the political aspirations of society bound in a particular geography,” he said. “Though the population forms the base (for delimitation), the Commission shall take into account constituencies’ practicality, geographical compatibility, topography, physical features, means of communication and convenience available.”

The delimitation of J&K Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in 1995 was based on the 1981 Census and it done partially only on 14 districts.

He said In 1995, there were 12 districts now J&K has 20. Likewise the number of tehsils in J&K has gone up from 58 to 270. He said that in 12 districts, constituency boundaries are extended beyond the district’s limit.

“There is an overlapping of districts as well as the tehsils in Constituencies. All such facts indicate that the public faces inconvenience due to such anomalies.’

He said the commission will also specify the number of seats to be reserved for the SC and the ST in the Legislative Assembly of the UT. “It will be for the first time that seats will be reserved for the ST in J&K,” he noted.

In all the commission will take cognizance of the representations made by 290 groups, comprising 800 people.

“A draft report will be prepared, wherein the suggestions of the associate members will also be taken into account. Thereafter, it will be in the public domain for a consensus. Only after the fresh comments, the final draft will be prepared. Opportunity will be given to people at large to take into account all the views,” he stated.