Srinagar October 22 (KNS):  Apni Party Senior Vice President and former Cabinet Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir on Saturday hailed the J&K Govt. decision to redraw the social caste list by including 15 more classes to get reservation benefits.

In his statement, Ghulam Hassan Mir said that the decision was long-awaited and it would surely benefit the disadvantageous classes who were out of the list so far.

He said, “I am pleased to know that the LG government has finally redrew the social caste list and included 15 more classes to the list. I appreciate the government's decision.”

He added, “The decision was long-awaited as the Jammu and Kashmir socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission recommended redrawing the social caste list long ago.”

Pertinently, the government issued an order to redraw the social caste list and expand it by adding 15 new classes under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. The new classes added to the list are Waghey (Chopan), Ghirath/Bhati/Chang community, Jat community, Saini community, Markabans/PonyWalas, Sochi community, Christian Biradari (converted from Hindu Valmiki), Sunar/Swarankar Teeli (Hindu Teeli along with already existing Muslim Teli), Perna/Kouro(Kaurav), Bojru/Decount/Dubdabay Brahmin Gorkans, Gorkhas, West Pakistani refugees (excluding SCs) and Acharyas.(KNS)