Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 19: Seeking setting up of a Welfare Board for Refugees of 1947, 1965, 1971, senior Congress leader and former MLC, Ravinder Sharma has demanded that JK Govt should again take up with the Centre to grant full package of 2014, which was recommended by NC-Congress coalition Government for one time settlement of refugees and their wards.
In a statement, JKPCC chief spokesperson urged the UT Government to again write to the Centre to sanction the remaining package for refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971 as was recommended by the NC – Congress coalition Government in, 2014, on the initiative of Dr Manmohan Singh Government.
He said that package was endorsed by Joint Parliamentary Committee on home affairs also but instead of granting 30 lac per family, only Rs 5.5 lakh was sanctioned by the Centre, which is totally unjustified and betrayal with lakhs of refugees. There were other components of the 2014 package, recommended to the Centre by the then State Government led by Omar Abdullah but nothing has been sanctioned except meagre amount, that too is pending with regard to hundreds of families of PoJK settled in J&K besides all those settled outside, which should include all.
He said that the scheme of Rs 5.5 lakh is also being closed when the entire families have not got that meagre amount because of certain conditions in the scheme and demanded that it should continue till all refugee families are covered including those settled outside J&K.
Sharma demanded that a Refugees Welfare Board needs to be set up to sort out numerous issues of refugees regarding land orders, package, inheritance, welfare of their children and reservations etc. Several contradictory orders are issued from time to time to the harassment of refugees, so a permanent institution is required for them.
He also appealed to all refugees and their organisations to come on one platform, leaving aside political considerations , to work for the resolution of their issues, who are still struggling after 75 years of getting ruined and uprooted.
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