Jammu, May 4: Jammu and Kashmir State Commission for Backward Classes -constituted to recommend backward areas and backward classes to the government for their over all development - has become defunct due to government apathy towards meeting its prescribed strength to ensure smooth functioning of the constitutional body.
 The working of the commission has virtually come to a grinding halt as for last one year it has failed to dispose off even a single case for lack of quorum.
 Constituted under the Jammu Kashmir State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1997, the Commission shall have five members, including chairman and a government officer to act as Secretary. But for last more than one year, the commission lacks three members and is working with chairman assisted by a Secretary- the government official.  
 As per rules of Business and Procedure of the commission, it recommends to enlist certain areas and down trodden sections as backward for extending them concessions under this particular category.
 Sources informed that with only two members, the commission has become defunct failing to clear even a single case during past over a year.
  “With short of three members for last more than one year (tenure of the latest member expired in November last year), no business was being transacted by the commission due to lack of quorum,” they said.
 For want of prescribed quorum, as per provisions of business and procedure to make decisions on a particular matter, the commission is unable to perform its functions. The business provisions clearly mention that state government would act on the recommendations of the commissions if the proposal is supported by two third members.
 Pertinently-the Business and Procedure rule 16 of the commission states: “In case all the members cannot participate in the meetings of the Commission, the quorum for it shall consist of three members, provided that it represents both the provinces, namely, the Kashmir Province as well as the Jammu Province. 
 Talking to Greater Kashmir, Chairman of the Commission, Justice (Retd) A M Mir said that he had requested the government to get the posts of the commission members filled  to maintain its quorum and he was told that probably the  same would be done by ending May this year  .
 He admitted that even normal functioning of the commission gets hampered because of vacant posts. “I wanted to modify some rules of the commission but that too was not possible despite the fact that for doing so commission needs minimum quorum,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 4 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 4 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 5 May 2012 00:00:00 IST