The dry government document went viral on social media on June 26. “This is to certify Shri Navin K Choudhary, son of Shri Deokant Choudhar...
The dry government document went viral on social media on June 26. “This is to certify Shri Navin K Choudhary, son of Shri Deokant Choudhary, resident of, at present, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, is a domicile of the UT of J&K,” it read.
The certificate was issued by Rohit Sharma, tehsildar of Bahu in Jammu district. Choudhary is an Indian Administrative Service officer from Bihar, now serving as principal secretary in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. He is also the first non-local bureaucrat to be recognised as a domicile of Jammu and Kashmir.
This was granted under new domicile rules introduced by the Centre in March. These were implemented from May 18, when the procedure for applications was notified. According to officials of Jammu and Kashmir revenue department, more than 32,000 domicile certificates have been issued since then.
A few, like Choudhary, were people who had moved to Jammu and Kashmir for work and other reasons. Many belong to groups who may have lived in Jammu and Kashmir for decades or generations but were not recognised as permanent residents, which meant they did not have the right to own land or hold government jobs.
“The government has laid down a procedure and whosoever fulfills the criteria...
