Number of officials camping in Jammu after target killings
Industrial investments swell to Rs 31,000 cr
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 8: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs today maintained in the Parliament that no Kashmiri Pandit/Hindus have been displaced from Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India on August 5, 2019.
However, as per the official reports, a number of Government employees from Kashmiri Pandit families had migrated to Jammu after targeted killings of minorities and some of them haven’t returned citing security reasons.
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In a written reply to a question of Digvijaya Singh in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai stated that after repeal of Article 370, no Kashmiri Pandit/Hindu has been displaced from the Valley.
“However, recently some Kashmiri Pandit families, mostly women and children, living in Kashmir have moved to Jammu region. These families are of Government employees, many of whom move to Jammu in winter as part of movement of officials and winter vacations in educational institutions,” Rai said in his reply.
Post targeted killings including a Principal and teacher of minorities besides prominent Kashmiri businessman Makhan Lal Bindroo and many non-local labourers in Kashmir, a number of Kashmiri migrant employees had shifted to Jammu.
The Government had also taken lenient view of their migration initially. Some of them have resumed their duties.
In response to another question, Nityanand Rai informed Rajya Sabha that the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has received investment proposals worth approximately Rs 31,000 crore so far after the abrogation of Article 370.
Responding to the question of MP Narayan Dass Gupta, Rai said that the Government has notified the New Central Sector Scheme for Industrial Development of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on February 19, 2021, to attract capital investments in Jammu and Kashmir.
This has been supplemented by the J&K Industrial Policy, J&K Private Industrial Estate Development Policy and J&K Industrial Land Allotment Policy.
“These steps have generated a good response and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has reported receiving proposals for investments worth approximately Rs 31,000 crore so far,” Rai further informed the Upper House.
Recently, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had stated that Jammu and Kashmir has received industrial investment proposals to the tune of Rs 31,000 crore and, of them, proposals worth Rs 15,000 crore have been approved.
The Government is expecting that the industrial proposals will touch Rs 50,000 crore shortly as there is encouraging response from the industrialists from across the country as well as abroad for investment in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The industrial investments will generate jobs and boost economic activity in Jammu and Kashmir which was missing prior to abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir,” the sources said.
Replying to another question, the Union Minister of State for Home said in the Rajya Sabha that a total of 366 militants have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir from August 5, 2019 to November 30, 2021.
During the same period, 96 civilians lost their lives while 81 security personnel were martyred.
Sources said number of the militants killed in the Kashmir valley during last two years has been significantly high despite COVID pandemic during 2020 and 2021 which marred operations for some months.
“Anti-militancy operations remained on a low key when COVID wave was at its peak in 2020 as well as 2021. However, they picked up with the wave receding and number of militants including many top commanders are being regularly killed in the Valley,” the sources said.
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