Asserting that problems being faced by displaced Kashmiri Pandits would be solved on war footing, the state government said a special employment package was on the cards for their youths.
Talking to
The Indian Express, J&K Revenue Minister Haqim Mohammad Yasin said the decision regarding this was taken at a high-level meeting on Monday.
The meeting was held between the PMO’s team, comprising Principal Advisor Planning Commission Sushma Chowdhary and Joint Secretary Home (Kashmir Affairs) Mitali Sen, and the state officers including Yasin.
Yasin said a survey would be conducted to identify poor migrant families whose dependent members are both married and unemployed.
The state government also sought some relaxation in rules in Centrally-sponsored schemes for extending benefits of education scholarships and other social welfare schemes to the children of camp-dwellers.
‘‘First priority in the package will be given to those who are still putting up in the Valley, followed by those migrants who are voluntarily willing to return to the Valley,’’ Yasin said and added those who are willing to return would be provided adequate accommodation in secure clusters. He said the package will form part of the overall Prime Minister’s rehabilitation plan for Kashmiri migrants.
After assessing the problems of the Kashmiri migrants, participants at the meeting decided to work out a two-pronged strategy to address their problems, with special focus on working out a special employment package for Kashmiri Pandit youth. The interministerial team will submit a detailed report to the PMO about the modalities of the employment package.
Yasin said upgradation of civic amenities and health facilities at migrant camps is also the responsibility of the government. He said they will also speed up work to renovate and repair the dwelling units in the migrant camps, besides providing necessary diagnostic equipment and ambulances wherever required.
He apprised the inter-ministerial team of various measures taken by the coalition government so that the migrants may return to the Valley with honour. He added that 200 flats at a cost of Rs 8 crore are nearing completion at Sheikhpora, Budgam. He also said that about 1,300 applications have been received from various Pandit families for allotment of these flats. Of these, 700 applicants were camp-dwellers.
Head of the PMO’s team, Sushma Choudhary, called for preparing family health cards for camp-dwellers and added that Kashmir University would also be asked to conduct a study about the health profile of the Kashmiri Pandits living in the Valley.
She said the Union Health Ministry would be approached to explore job possibilities for those Kashmir Pandit youths who could not pursue studies due to poverty because of the turmoil back home.
Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Vijay Bakaya, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, B D Sharma, Commissioner Revenue Mumtaz Afzal, Relief Commissioner Ravi Thusoo were also present at the meeting. The PMO team visited Batar Balian (Udhampur) and Nagrota camps and interacted with the displaced Kashmiri Pandits.
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