Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla projected the issues of PoK, West Pakistan and Chhamb refugees and the cap on LPG cylinders with the Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde here today.
While submitting memorandum to Mr Shinde, the Revenue Minister pointed out that after partition, nearly 26, 319 families from PoK came to settle in J&K and were accordingly registered with the Government agency. These people were accommodated in camps and given some assistance from time to time. Nearly 22,719 families got settled in rural belt while 3600 in urban areas. Some refugees who settled in rural areas, were also allotted land on different scales. Those who opted for urban areas were allotted plots / quarters and even the cash assistance.
Mr Bhalla pointed out that under rehabilitation plan more than 10 lakh kanals of land has so far been allotted to them. There are nearly 5000 families which have been provided less land and some even no any land at all. Now some of the people have taken benefit and some have not. Therefore, one yardstick can not be for all in settlement of the issues once for all. They have rejected Rs 25,000 per family and even later Rs 1.5 lakh per family as cash assistance. Some families have even accepted that assistance but many have refused, Mr Bhalla maintained.
He further said that DPs of 1965 and 71 from Chhamb and other areas have been accommodated in nearly 163 Bastis in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. There are 4600 such families. Out of the total, 700 families are yet to be rehabilitated. There were nearly 4745 West Pakistani refugees in the Jammu region. They are occupying nearly 46,466 kanals of land and evacuee property and State land. The State Government has not chosen to interfere in their possession. They are demanding ownership rights but they are not the state subjects. He stressed for the comprehensive one time settlement of refugees issues.
Referring to the issue of KPs, Mr Bhalla pointed out that a revised rehabilitation proposal for Kashmiri migrants, duly endorsed by the State Cabinet has also been submitted to Union Government. He sought swift action in this regard.
Meanwhile, Mr Bhalla also took up the issue of LPG crisis in the state and urged the Home Minister to review decision in respect of State. He demanded that LPG cap may either be withdrawn or revised. Mr Bhalla said State Government has expressed its inability to bear the subsidy burden citing fiscal constraints. He demanded that LPG cap may be revised to nine (9) cylinders a year per household for the middle class families and for BPL families up to 12 cylinders. The income scales can be rationally fixed by the Government of India based on the relevant norms, he added.
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