Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 6: A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) including ten members from the Rajya Sabha, has strongly recommended Permanent Resident Certificate and voting right for the West Pakistani Refugees (WPRs) and Rs 30 lakh package per family of the WPRs and displaced persons from Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The 31-member Committee, reconstituted on September Ist, 2014 and headed by its chairman P. Bhattacharya, has also recommended that the Government of India should take up the matter of de-freezing of 8 seats for the PoJK DPs with the J&K Government keeping in view the problems being faced by the DPs. It said that the Ministry may impress upon the State Government to make amendments in the State Constitution, if necessary at the earliest.
The Committee desired that one time compensation of Rs 30 lakh may be included in the package for the PoJK displaced persons as well as the West Pakistani refugees without delay. It also sought reservation for the WPRs and PoJK refugees in the Upper and the Lower House of the J&K Legislature.
“ The Committee is of the considered view that even if West Pakistani Refugees can not be equated with the Kahmiri Pandit migrants, but they deserve immediate relief and rehabilitation for sustenance without delay. One time compensation of Rs 30 lakh be provided within one year and there should not be any delay in the matter,” the JPC recommended.
The Panel expressed its serious concern that the West Pakistan Refugees, who are very much citizens of India and eligible for voting in Parliamentary elections do not possess the voting right in the State Legislative Assembly elections, on the pretext that they are not permanent residents of the State in terms of J&K Constitution.
The Committee observed that though they are living there for the last more than 60 years, they are not leading the life of free citizens. This situation has not earned them any special benefits. The Committee strongly recommended that the Central Government must impress upon the State Government to consider, as one- time measure, the demand of West Pakistani Refugees to grant them the status of permanent resident of the State sympathetically so that they can live as state subjects in a dignified way, with all legal rights including right to vote in State Assembly. The panel also desired that PoJK DPs who are living outside the State should also be granted PRCs and a nodal officer may be appointed in Delhi for grating them PRC as being done for the Kashmiri migrants.
The JPC stressed that citizens of India must have the right to elect and get elected in all the representative bodies to enhance the strength of democracy. WPRs should get permanent resident status sooner for fostering complete faith in democracy. The committee, therefore, recommended that Union Ministry of Home Affairs may pursue with the State Government to examine the issue of reservation of seats in the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council of the State for the WPRs and if necessary, may move for the necessary amendment to the J&K Constitution. Besides this, the Panel recommended de-freezing of eight seats for the PoJK DPs in the Assembly.
While referring to the interim package, the Parliamentary Panel found non-seriousness on the part of Government in keeping its words while dealing with the PoJK DPs, WPRs and DPs from Chhamb. The committee found that under assistance sanctioned in 1947-48 for rural settlers, 46 Bastis constructed by rural settlers on their own were regularized under the Slum Improvement Scheme of J&K. However, Rs 25 lakh for improvement of civic amenities in 46 regularised colonies were sanctioned under the rehabilitation package in the year 2000. One can imagine the number and level of facilities to be provided in a Basti at an average amount of Rs 54,000 in the year 2000. For the improvement in these colonies, the State Govt had framed a committee to prepare a survey report but that survey report has not yet been finalized. Like wise, 123 urban settlers were given plots in 1947-48, Thereafter, after 52 years in 2000 an amount of Rs 2 crore was sanctioned for the allotment of plots to the displaced persons who settled in the urban areas and were not allotted plots in the past.
The JPC felt that that rehabilitation assistance has been awfully insufficient with very poor track record of implementation. It is of the strong opinion that assistance being provided to PoJK DPs of 1947 must be sufficient for sustenance and therefore, the ‘sufficient interim relief’ be given immediately till the finalization of one time compensation, which according to the Government is being incorporated in the package.
The Committee aggred that since PoJK DPs are the citizens of India and also permanent residents of the State, their mere displacement can not make them refugees as such. Government may, however, consider the benefits and other packages as admissible under the law.
On Wadhwa Committee report, the JPC members said that report was submitted to the Govt in 2007 and it was not made public. The report can not be kept pending for indefinite period. The Committee therefore, recommended that Union Govt should take up the matter with the State Govt to expeditiously consider and implement the recommendations of Wadhwa Committee report within six months.
For the Chhamb Dispalced persons of 1965 and 1971, the JPC has also recommended one time package/ compensation, tenancy/ occupancy rights on the EP property and land, compensation for land deficiency, reservation for their wards, ALC certificates, registration of left out families and constitution of Development Board for their welfare.
The Parliamentary Panel has also recommended creation of separate battalion in State Police, Army and Paramilitary forces from among the WPRs and DPs from PoJK & Chhamb, official registration of DPs of 1947, constitution of Welfare and Relief Commission/ Development Board for them, reservation for their wards in technical and other professional institutions, employment; provision of monthly cash, ration money, issuance of ALC certificates for those living along the border belt, occupancy/ tenancy rights of Evacuee land/ property and land deficiency compensation and equal treatment, registration of left out DPs, implementation of Wadhwa Committee and interlocutors’ reports.
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