Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, May 15: The Centre has grilled the State Government over its slow progress on much talked about PM’s job package for Kashmiri migrants which is hanging in balance for over last eight years now.
The dis-satisfaction of the Union Government over the slow progress on PM’s job package for Kashmiri migrant youth announced way back in 2008 by then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has urged the State Government representatives during a meeting held in North Block, New Delhi this week to expedite the process in this regard.
According to highly placed sources, the MHA has asked the State Government to ensure that the appointments of remaining 3000 jobs under PM’s job package of 6000 posts announced in 2008 be made as early as possible because there is already a constant delay in this regard.
Sources said the MHA also expressed its concern over the delay in releasing the cash assistance in favour of Jammu migrants at par with Kashmiri migrants which has been approved by Union Government last year and for which an order was issued by Centre under which Jammu migrants will be paid Rs 10,000 cash relief as well as ration at par with Kashmiri migrants from November last year.
The MHA has sought a reply from the State Government representatives that why the relief at enhanced rate was not paid to Jammu migrants in the current financial year, sources said. The State Government had to make the payment of relief to these migrants under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) and account has to be submitted to Centre for reimbursement of funds, sources added.
The meeting was chaired by R Pilani, Joint Secretary MHA, Director MHA, S C Karol, and other officers from MHA were also present in it. The State Government was represented by Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, R K Pandita while some officers of Delhi Government were also present during the meeting.
The MHA while sharing the concern of female migrant employees serving in Kashmir valley under PM package has also urged the State Government to ensure that these employees be posted near district headquarters after getting them transferred from far-flung areas and the procedure for the medical reimbursement for the migrants be also simplified, sources said. The MHA has also asked the State Government to expedite the process in this regard , sources added.
Sources said the MHA in principle had agreed to provide funds for the purchase of ration for Kashmiri migrants on cash payment from CAPD Department to continue free disbursement of ration to Kashmiri as well as Jammu migrants under SRE as migrants had opposed to accept ration under NFSA.
The CAPD has demanded advance payment of ration to be supplied to Kashmiri and Jammu migrants should be deposited with it by Relief and Rehabilitation Department at the market rate with carriage charges also.
The Relief organization is working out the cost so that it can make advance payment to CAPD, sources said.
Regarding the latest progress on the identification of land for construction of 6000 quarters for migrants at district headquarters in Valley for the accommodation of the PM package employees, the State Government representatives informed the MHA that the concerned Deputy Commissioners have identified the land at the district headquarters and they have submitted the same to the Revenue and Rehabilitation Ministry.
Moreover, the MHA was informed that work on construction of 96 quarters each at Vessu transit camp in South Kashmir district of Anantnag and Sheikhpora in Central Kashmir district of Budgam was in progress, sources added.
Sources said that State Government representative informed the MHA that progress on implementation of job package was reviewed in a recent meeting convened by Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Basharat Bukhari with Administrative Secretaries of 18 departments to finalize the same. During the meeting some minor changes were introduced by the Administrative Secretaries regarding the posts as per the need of the concerned departments and the same will be put in next Cabinet meeting for approval, sources said.
The Centre was further informed that after the approval of State Cabinet the SSRB will issue advertisements for appointment of the 3000 posts to be filled under second phase of job package and 800 posts which are pending in the first phase.
Meanwhile, the Relief organization has submitted a revised proposal to State Government for conversion of one room tenement into two room tenements at Purkhoo. The cost of the same which was worked out to Rs 16.40 crore has been submitted for administrative approval of the Government.
It may be recalled that in the Apex Advisory Committee meeting on August 27, 2013 which was chaired by then Chief Minster, Omar Abdullah had decided to convert the 1588 abandoned ORTs at Purkhoo into TRTs on which Rs 14.06 crore will be incurred. These quarters were vacant after the shifting of the migrants to Jagti township. However a large number of migrants who were without the accommodation had approached the Relief organization for providing accommodation to them too on the basis of which the decision was taken in Apex meeting.
By converting these quarters into TRTs, the Relief organization can add more 700 TRTs to its present accommodation for migrants in Jammu, sources said.
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