Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Government today formally extended the scheme for one-time settlement of displaced families of Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) and Chhamb (1965 and 1971) refugees till March 31, 2024.
An order to this effect was issued today by Nazim Zai Khan, Secretary to the Government , Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction.
As per the order, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh Affairs has communicated extension to the timeline of the Scheme, the Central assistance for one time settlement of displaced families of PoJK (1947) and Chhamb (1965 and 1971) settled in Jammu and Kashmir.
The scheme has been extended from 31/03/2022 to 31/03/2024 under the Rehabilitation Package approved by the Union Cabinet on 30.11.2016.
After getting approval from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has formally extended the scheme with approved outlay of Rs 2000 crore with the stipulation that the scheme shall not continue beyond 31.03.2024, the Union Territory Government order said.
The UT Government had taken up the matter with the Union Home Ministry and sought extension in the scheme.
As per the officials, some of the displaced families of PoJK and Chhamb (1965 and 1971) couldn’t avail the benefit of Rs 5.5 lakh per family extended to such refugees by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs during the stipulated period because of delay in completion of formalities.
The scheme has been extended to give chance to such families to fulfil criteria and avail benefit of the scheme, they said.
On October 9, 2019, the Union Cabinet in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved inclusion of 5,300 DP families of Jammu & Kashmir-1947 who initially opted to move outside the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir but later returned and settled here, in the Rehabilitation Package approved by the Cabinet on November 30, 2016 for Displaced families of PoJK and Chhamb.
The approval had enabled such DP families to become eligible to get one-time financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakhs under the existing scheme, and in turn, also able to get some sustained income which the existing scheme was aimed at.
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