Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 20: A combined delegation of MJR-47 and Shiromani Akali Dal (B), Jammu led by S Jagjeet Singh Sudan its convener and Jathedar Mahinder Singh called on Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh and apprised him of various problems of the community.
MJR -47 and State Akali Dal delegation urged the Deputy CM to solve the demands of the minority Sikh community living in the State who feel totally neglected from the Government and discriminated in every field especially during present dispensation.
The delegation said that the DPs of 1947 have not been rehabilitated even after seven decades of their displacement. This has been despite the fact that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs and State Government has made number of recommendations in this regard apart from an interim relief of Rs 30 lakh per DP family against which only 5.5 lakh per family is given. The disbursement of this amount is also full of procedural wrangles and many families are fed up and they have given up the hopes to get the same.
MJR convener also stated that amount being paid hardly comes to Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per family as the number of claimants has grown to more than five to ten families during the last seven decades.
He demanded that second installment be also released as was assured by Union Home Minister and MoS in PMO on September 11 last year and they have stated that the letter of January 12, 2016 stating that Rs 5.5 lakh as full and final compensation be withdrawn forthwith.
The delegation also termed the SRO 425 of October 10 last year as highly discriminatory for non migrant Sikhs and be replaced by another including Sikh community living in the Valley for special employment under the PM’s package who have suffered most and are living under threat as they faced the massacre like Chatisingpora and Mehjoor Nagar.
The delegation also demanded representation in Lower House and State Cabinet and said that in previous NC -Congress coalition and in the present dispensation Sikhs always were getting a berth in council of ministers right from independence.
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