PSC seeks written response from J&K Govt

Avtar Bhat
NEW DELHI, July 30: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs led by former BJP national president and MP Venkaiah Naidu has asked the J&K Government to submit in writing the reasons for delay in settlement of issues of Kashmiri migrants, West Pak refugees, PoK refugees and terrorism affected people of Jammu region.
These directions were issued by the Committee, which held a detailed meeting here today with various representatives of Kashmiri migrant organisations, West Pak refugees, PoK refugees and terrorism affected people from Jammu region to ascertain their problems.
The Standing Committee members including former Deputy Prime Minister and senior BJP leader, L K Advani, former Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Congress MP Naveen Jindal and Dr V Metray of AIADMK and others have asked the State Government to submit in writing that what steps were taken to ameliorate the lot of these people so far.
The Government side in the meeting was led by Union Home Secretary, Anil Goswami while Revenue Secretary J&K Government, Vinod Koul, Revenue and Rehabilitation Commissioner, R K Pandita and Revenue Secretary to Delhi Government and Divisional Commissioner Delhi and other officers attended it.
The meeting was also attended by Prof Bhim Singh, supremo of National Panthers Party.
Official sources said that the Standing Committee members first met the representatives of the terrorism affected people of Jammu region led by BJP leader Bali Bhagat, who is also the convener of Tehreek-e-Insaf. He was accompanied by another BJP leader and co-convener of Tehreek-e-Insaf Vibodh Gupta. This was followed by the meeting with representatives of PoK refugees led by Dr Narinder Singh, who was accompanied by Ashok Khajuria Poonchi, another leader of the organisation and the representatives of West Pak refugees led by Labha Ram Gandhi.
The delegation later met the representatives of Kashmiri migrants  to ascertain their views on various issues confronting the displaced people from Valley including the implementation of PM’s rehabilitation package.
Talking to Excelsior, PoK refugees representative, Dr Narinder Singh said that while bringing the problems of PoK refugees in the notice of the Parliamentary Standing Committee they were asked to prevail upon the Government to settle the long standing issues faced by these refugees since 1947.
He said the Committee members were told that 50,000 people were killed in 1947 by Pakistani desperados in 1947 aggression and no compensation was paid to these families till date by the Government.
He demanded registration of PoK refugees settled all over the country be made and they be given State subject certificates, the representatives of PoK refugees be elected on eight seats out of 24 Assembly seats reserved for PoK refugees in State Assembly, a Refugees Development Board be created and a Corpus Development Fund for these refugees be setup, besides they be given compensation of their left over properties on the basis of present market rate.
Lubha Ram Gandhi of West Pak refugees while expressing concern over the denial of citizenship rights to these refugees by the successive State Governments demanded that West Pak refugees be given voting rights in the elections of State Assembly and Panchayats.
He said that these refugees were facing total discrimination as they have been deprived of PRC rights by the State Government due to which their wards are unable to seek a State Government job which is totally an injustice with them.
While highlighting the problems of terrorism affected people of Jammu region, Bali Bhagat and Vibodh Gupta said that hilly reaches of Jammu suffered much due to the terrorist violence. While presenting the data, he said out of 10 districts of Jammu, eight were totally affected by terrorism and since 1996 to 2006 out 39 massacres in the State, 30 massacres took place in Jammu region while nine only took place in Kashmir valley.
He said while these massacres claimed 188 lives in Kashmir valley, 403 people lost their lives in these massacres in Jammu region during this period. He said 12,000 families of hilly reaches of Jammu region were directly affected by the terrorism and had to take refuge in towns or Jammu city.
He alleged that the successive State Governments totally ignored these victims and demanded a Commission be constituted to assess the loss suffered in Jammu region due to terrorist violence. He further demanded announcement of special package for these people and a special employment drive be launched for the youth of these districts.
He also accused the Government of its total failure in providing the relief to these migrants at par with Kashmiri migrants as was directed by Supreme Court.
The collective view of representatives of KP organisations including All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), Kashmiri Pandit Sabha (KPS) and Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch (JKVM) was that some steps to be taken to restore the confidence of the Kashmiri Pandits in view of their continued neglect and marginalization being faced at the hands of the J&K Government. To support the argument, they quoted the assurances given by the State Chief Minister in the last Apex Committee meeting about the enhancement of cash relief to the tune of Rs. 10,000 per month per family but later the issue was put into the cold storage with only a meager increase in cash relief.
Similar is the fate of employment package which also has been partially implemented with only 1462 candidates having been appointed out of promised 6000 jobs. Problems faced by residents of the Jagati Township were brought to the notice of the Committee during the overall presentation of the issues.  Moti Kaul, President AIKS; M. K. Kaw, Chairman AIKS Trust; K. K. Khosa, President KP Sabha Jammu; Ajay Bharti, President, JKVM; M. L. Malla, Vice President AIKS and Ashok Braroo, gave their inputs to the non-execution of Prime Minister’s Relief Package and the paramount need of a blueprint for the resettlement of the displaced KP community.
They explained in detail about the need for restructuring the Prime Minister’s Package to suit the community in terms of their social, political and cultural aspirations. All the other major organizations present supported the arguments.
They expressed concern over lackluster approach to the action taken on the 137th report of the Committee on rehabilitation of Migrants. However on return, Mr Kaw said that there are major three options available with Government one included Home land as demanded by Panun Kashmir, another was single township while the third option was settlement on district headquarters and Government should try to evolve a consensus on these three options.
The representatives of Panun Kashmir, led by Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, ASKPC, H L Chatta, spokesperson KP organisations, Virender Raina, KSD chief, Rakesh Kaul AIKPC, H N Jattu, and Displaced Sikh Forum Prem Singh were adamant on their demand that the return and rehabilitation were two separate issues and should not be interlinked.
They said that Pandits will not return on the agenda set by Government but on their won terms and conditions when situation becomes conducive for the same.
They made it clear that the conditions for the return were not conducive and there was no compromise on Margdarshan resolution. They demanded that the draconian laws attached to PM’s employment package be removed and remaining migrant youth be appointed in PSUs and other Government departments, problems of Jagti migrants be settled, with announcement of package for over-aged youth, redressal of grievances of non camp migrants, Kashmir migrants be declared internally displaced people, the regularization of teachers in Delhi Government and settlement of problems of Tehbazari shopkeepers. They also opposed the rehabilitation of surrendered militants and demanded that a committee be constituted in which the representatives of migrant organisations be also included for the implementation of recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee from time to time for welfare of displaced people and its speedy implementation.

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