Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 10: Jammu Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee (JKSAC) has expressed its gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Govt for extending benefits of ex-gratia grant relief of Rs 5.5 lakhs to 5300 DPs families of 1947 from PoK settled outside the State after partition.
The members of the JKSAC during a meeting held at R S Pura today, also thanked the Governor Satya Pal Malik for making the recommendations to include these bonafide residents of the State in the package after a meeting held on June 19, 2019 at Srinagar.
Addressing the meeting Gurdev Singh, president said that after a relentless struggle for the permanent rehabilitation of DPs on the pattern of West Pakistan refugees settled by Govt of India, a “Displaced person Permanent Settlement Act” was passed in 1971 by the then State Legislature which took almost 6 years to frame the rules which was published in May 1977 Govt Gazette. But unfortunately, this act was never implemented till date by the NC and Congress ruling dispensation thus leaving the DPs in chaos and distress. But a clause/law of this Act was enforced to annihilate 5300 DPs families from their roots in J&K who went outside the state during this turmoil period of 1947 in search of food and shelter and settled there in different parts of the country. They were denied registration due to certain unwanted conditions. This particular law was being resented continuously by JKSAC since 1971 till date and justice have been delivered by Narendra Modi Govt after seven decade’s struggle.
In the meeting held on 19 June 2019 at Srinagar under the Chairmanship of PK Pole, Secretary /Commissioner DMRRR, the authority present were forcefully apprised the documentary evidence that these families are the permanent residents of J&K State and cannot be excluded from any benefits merely on the basis of being registered out side the State. They have their permanent roots in J&K and possess equal legal rights like other DPs settled in J&K state and cannot be separated from their birth places. It is a matter of great pride for DPs that State Advisory Council under the Chairmanship of Satya Pal Malik, Governor took serious cognizance of the issue and submitted the proposal in July 2019 to Central Govt for its approval.
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