Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 6: BJP State vice president and MLC, Girdhari Lal Bhat today demanded constitution of Minority (Kashmiri Hindu) Welfare Board to co-ordinate between the community & the Government and immediate eviction of illegal encroachers including those made by Government agencies from left behind immovable property of the displaced Pandits.
The demands were made by him at a press conference here, today along with BJP Displaced District Kashmir, president , Chand Ji Bhat. He further demanded that till the time Temples and Shrines Bill is passed by Legislature an ordinance to that effect may be issued, extension of all welfare scheme benefits to the displaced community, ensuring of purposeful participation in elections & deletion of M-Form requirement and implementation of employment package including 9000 self-employment opportunities and fast tracking construction of transit accommodation.
Strongly pleading deletion of M-Form & inclusion of displaced community into democratic process, Raina argued that the displaced community is practically debarred from every meaningful participation in the democratic process.
Terming the mechanism created by the authorities mere an eyewash, he said even in forthcoming election to the ULBs and Panchayats the process proposed is self-contradictory and defeats the very purpose of participation. The whole issue needs to be revisited and a simplified mechanism put in place, he added.
Talking about Temples and Shrines of Kashmir, he said, that these are priceless heritage places of our ancestors, saints, Rishis, etc which have contributed to various walks of human activity including the world recognised Trika Shaiva Sidhant. These places are in shambles and need to be preserved and protected for posterity, he opined.
Taking successive governments at Delhi and in the State to task for the plight of the Kashmiri Pandits who he alleged faced persecution over the years since 1947 which culminated into their mass exodus in 1989-90 as community faced all along denial in all fields through the hands of State administration.
Raina alleged that the Immovable property left-behind by the Displaced Minority Community has been encroached by land mafia and even the Government. District Magistrates who have been appointed as custodians of such property by an Act framed in 1997 have failed to identify, preserve or protect the same.
Speaking about employment avenues provided to unemployed youth through various packages announced by the Government from time to time, he alleged that they have remained largely unimplemented. The Prime Minister’s package of 15000 job openings (6000 Government jobs and 9000 self-employment opportunities) has got entrapped in bureaucratic red-tapism with the result that even in 2018 the number of actual jobs provided on ground is much less than what was promised.
Kamal Warikoo president BJYM, KDD and Babita Kour of Mahila Morcha were also present in the press conference.
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