<span style="color: #222222;">In Jammu and Kashmir, the Government today informed that the issuance of Domicile Certificates have been accelerated as about 12.5 lakh of these certificates have been issued so far with over 99 per cent being erstwhile PRC holders.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Principal Secretary Power Development Department and Information Department, Rohit Kansal, said that the process of issuance of Domicile Certificates is picking up rapidly and certificate issuance is being monitored regularly.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He informed that about 12.5 lakh Domicile Certificates have been issued so far. Over 99 per cent of those issued certificates include erstwhile PRCs or including Kashmiri Pandit migrants. The process of issuance will be further accelerated and the issuance will be monitored to ensure that pendency is brought down to the lowest, he added.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He further informed that so far 11,398 West Pakistan Refugees, 415 Valmiki community members, 10 Gorkha community members and 12,340 Registered Migrants have been issued Domicile Certificates.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Giving a background about the Domicile Certificate procedure, he said that the Government had notified the Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate (Procedure) Rules, 2020, which is the basic eligibility condition for appointment to any post under the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir following amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralization and Recruitment) Act, 2010.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Kansal reaffirmed that the rules provide a simple and time bound procedure for the issuance of the Domicile Certificate so that no one is put to any inconvenience, besides there are provisions for time bound issuance for certificates including an Appellate Authority whose orders will be binding as well as who has revisional powers.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">"The rules have a provision that applications for grant of Domicile Certificate can be submitted either physically or electronically online. The Competent Authority can also issue domicile certificate(s) electronically," he said.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He also mentioned that the Permanent Residents of the erstwhile State of J&K in whose favour Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) has been issued by the competent authority before October 31, 2019 shall be eligible for receiving their Domicile Certificates on the basis of PRCs alone and no other additional document shall be required for such residents.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Similarly, he noted that for Kashmiri migrants, a very simple procedure has been prescribed for they can get the Domicile certificate on production of either a PRC or Certificate of registration of migrant and added that further for bonafide migrants and bonafide displaced persons who have migrated but have not registered with the relief department, there is a special limited provision for registration.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He further explained that in order to further simplify the process and ensure issuance of domicile in the bare minimum time, the Government has issued a notification SO 263 dated: 25th of August, 2020 whereby the Competent Authority has been bound to issue the Domicile Certificates provided under clause 1(a) and clause 4(a) within a period of five working days from the date such application is received by it.</span><br />''