Excelsior Correspondent
VIJAYPUR, Jan 5: Former minister and senior vice president of National Conference Surjeet Singh Slathia has assailed PDP-BJP Government for duping PoK refugees by downsizing their one-time settlement package from Rs 9,025 crore to just Rs 2,000 crore.
“The BJP Government at the Centre and the PDP-BJP dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir has not so far justified as to why the recommendations of the Omar Abdullah led Government in 2014 were ignored while formulating the so-called package”, Slathia said while addressing a huge rally of party workers at Vijaypur today.
Slathia said the package of Rs 9025 crore, recommended by the NC Government was well considered, taking into consideration the plight and sufferings of the PoK refugees for decades.
“After considering pleas of the state-subject PoK refugees, the Omar led Government had approved Rs 25 lakhs per family as one-time settlement for over 36,000 families”, he said and castigated the insensitive approach of the coalition dispensation in shabbily treating them. He decried the approach of the BJP towards these people, for totally neglecting them in all aspects.
The former minister further said that all the promises made by the BJP to residents living along International Border and Line of Control during electioneering proved hoax. “What has happened to much trumpeted construction of bunkers, safe shelter sheds and allotment of 5-Marla plots to vulnerable segments of border population”, he asked and lamented that the PDP-BJP dispensation has failed in delivering on development and other fronts.
He pointed out that the people, especially those living along borders have heavily paid for trusting the BJP which gave them nothing but miseries. The public anger will boomerang as the present Government has lost the track of governance. The lack of political direction has impacted the administration, which is almost invisible on ground zero, he maintained.
Prominent among those present in the workers meeting included former Sarpanches, Panches, NC president Samba Mahinder Gupta, vice president Vijay Singh, Block president Bhagwan Singh, Mohan Singh, Mohan Singh Jamwal, Raman Gupta and Soudagar Gupta.
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