* Demands party’s mandate to refugee leader
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 20: Congress District Jammu Rural president and prominent refugee leader Badrinath Sharma today accused the BJP-led double engine Government at the Centre of betraying refugees from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
During his interaction with Party’s Incharge for J&K, Bharat Singh Solanki in Jammu wherein a deputation of Refugees along with prominent persons from different sections of society from RS Pura, Jammu South constituency, asked party high Command to give chance to Sharma in forthcoming Assembly elections from this Assembly seat having mass support of refugees along with other sections of society on account of his honest and dedicated works in last thirty years of his political career. He also highlighted the issues faced by the people like shortage of basic amenities such as power, water, roads, medical facilities, and civic amenities.
Sharma expressed deep concern over the unfulfilled commitments made to PoJK refugees by the BJP-led Central Government. He criticized the Centre for providing a meagre compensation of Rs 5 lakh per family. He strongly criticized the Centre and UT Government for ignoring facilities to PoJK, Chhamb DPs and West Pakistan refugees, which is clear betrayal and backtracking of the promises with them by the Modi Government and BJP.
He said after a long struggle of refugees of PoJK, Chhamb and West Pakistan and hot perusal by Congress, a package was worked out on the direction of Dr Manmohan Singh’s Government in 2014 and recommended to the Centre by the State Government. It comprised of Rs 25 lakh per family as a financial package besides jobs, reservation package, and coverage of all left out DP families under land allotment and land deficiency categories.
he said package was not only endorsed by the all-party joint parliamentary committee but also enhanced the relief amount to Rs 30 lakh per family, however, the Modi Govt and BJP failed to sanction the package. Only a meager amount of Rs 5.5 lakhs was sanctioned but that too has not been disbursed to all eligible families because of various hardships in the procedure and documentation for them.
Sharma claimed that Members of the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) refugee community should get mandate from party in J-K assembly polls from seats where it has a strong presence.
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