Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 19 : Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space & Atomic Energy, today called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at his office and took up the issue of non-payment of compensation to the victims of Kishtwar communal riot that took place last year.
He conveyed to the Home Minister the concern of the people because of the Government not having fulfilled its promise to give assessment-based compensation to the victims.
Dr Jitendra Singh also handed over to Rajnath Singh a letter giving all details and evidence accompanied with documents containing names of individuals, their residential and business establishment addresses, the assessed amount to be paid to them and the actual amount, which is much deficient, offered to them.
According to the documents handed over to the Home Minister, the names of victims, included Dheeraj Wazir C/o. Wazir Garments, Amar Market; Rajesh Sharma, C/o. Sunny Music Corner, Shaheedi Road; Daleep Kumar R/o. Kuleed ITC Products, Shaheedi Road and Anuradha C/o. Asraria Traders, Shaheedi Road, whose assessed amount of loss was Rs. 8 lakh, Rs.5 lakh, Rs.12 lakh and Rs.1.04 lakh respectively but they had not received any compensation so far.
There were other victims in whose case the compensation offered was much less than the assessed amount of loss. These include for example Ramesh Kumar C/o. Chicken & Egg Store Kuleed Chowk, who was given only Rs.15000 against assessed loss of Rs.1 lakh; Som Nath C/o. Provision Store, Kuleed Chowk, who was given only Rs.25000 against assessed loss of Rs.5 lakhs and Ajeet Auto Works, Kuleed Chowk, who was given only Rs.3 lakhs against assessed loss of Rs.10.94 lakhs.
Dr Jitendra Singh requested the Home Minister to procure status report from the State Government on the progress made so far on the issue and if required also issue appropriate guidelines to the State. The Home Minister, in response, assured to look into the matter seriously.
Dr Singh also advised the administration of Kishtwar to take the local leaders of the district into confidence in order to ensure communal harmony on the eve of forthcoming Assembly elections.