Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 14: The indefinite chain dharna of SOS International– an organization of PoK displaced persons, entered into 19th consecutive day, today.
While leading today’s dharna, Tirath Ram from R S Pura alleged that some forces are burning mid night oil to create hurdles and hell bent upon to fail the agenda of scheme, thus compelling them to sit on indefinite dharna.
Tirath Ram further stated that an amount of Rs 2000 crore was sanctioned to pay compensation to PoK DPs. “Though this amount was not acceptable but the people at the helm promised to give Rs 30 lakh per family and as goodwill gesture, this amount was sanctioned in the beginning but to our great dismay only Rs 500 crore was released in last 4 years and more than 2000 cases are pending for want of payments but no fund has been released for over four months,” he said.
Further it was alleged by team leader that most of the displaced families as a temporary measures have been provided land, quarters and ex gratia grant but they have not been found eligible for payment as the record with PRO office is not available.
He said the excuses are being made that either the record is burnt or destroyed as the land, quarters allotted and ex gratia payment made is itself a proof of making them eligible to get payment, while as no such record is demanded from the West Pakistani Refugees though they are non state subjects.
Tirath Ram was assisted by Manga Singh, Subash Chander, Gurcharan Singh, Nirmal Anand and Jaswant Singh.
The main demands of PoK DPs are implementation of the whole package passed by State Cabinet in October 2014 for PoK Displaced Persons, provide facilities to all displaced at par with Valley Migrants, reservation of 8 seats for people displaced from PoK in J&K Legislative Assembly, permit PoK DPs to visit to their religious places in PoK, inclusion of 5, (300) PoK DPs families living outside the State in the ambit of package passed in October 2014 and return of cash deposits with interest to PoK DPs lying with J&K Bank Mirpur.
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