Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 18: Apni Party has demanded enhancement of monthly cash relief to the migrant Kashmiri families and political empowerment of the community which remained displaced for 30 years.
The party which held a function at its Gandhi Nagar office here in which over 100 migrant Kashmiri Pandits and local youth from Jammu joined the party through youth leader Abhay Bakaya.
J&K general secretary, Vijay Bakaya, provincial President Jammu, Manjit Singh, Senior Apni Party leader and former Minister, Mohammed Dilawar Mir among others attended the function.
The migrant youth highlighted their concerns on various issues like promised Government jobs under PM package, allotment of quarters at Jagti residential colony, bifurcation of ration cards, sugar not being allegedly supplied in Government ration depots, shortage of staff and in Relief Commissioner Office and other related issues.
While welcoming the new entrants into the party, general secretary and Ex-MLC Vijay Bakaya highlighted the fact that in the last 30 years’ relief for those KP migrants, who are dependent on cash relief, was pegged at Rs 13000 for a family of four which was a joke and asked for its enhancement to Rs 25000 per month.
Bakaya emphasized on the need for KPs to unite as a political force so that their voice could be heard with more attention. He exhorted the community to look ahead and seek political empowerment which has been denied to them since ages.
On listening to the grievances of KPs Manjit Singh demanded that a grievance redressal mechanism should be developed in the Relief Commissioner’s Office and the harassment of the migrant Pandits should stop. He also expressed concern over plight of Jammu youth and demanded the admission seats in Cluster University should be enhanced.
The Apni Party, senior leader, Mohammed Dilawar Mir recounted the role played by KPs as teachers and doctors in society. He said that the traditional bonds of brotherhood between the Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits had not weakened despite the tragic migration of KPs and that these bonds should be further strengthened to recreate the environment of harmony that prevailed in the Valley before the turmoil.
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