| 70 yrs on, refugees crave for rights | | World Refugee Day | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 19: On the occasion of world refugee day, lakhs of refugees settled in various areas of Jammu region feel dismayed over reluctance of the government to grant them civic rights.
The Jammu city, which is known as city of temples can be called as "City of refugees", due to settlement of large number of refugees including Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) refugees, Kashmiri Pandits, West Pakistani Refugees, Talwara migrants, millitancy affected refugees beside others.
After the laspse of over seventy years, our people have still been living in camps and they have no propriety rights over the lands on which they have made thier houses, Spokesperson of MJR-47 Suchwant Singh said, adding that POJK refugees have over 12 Lakhs population but govenrment has not de-freeze the seats out of 24 reserved in state assembly.
Singh further even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asserted for reservation of one seat each in Lower and Upper house of parliament but so far nothing has been done. "We have not given the status of refugees as the successive Union governments have been claiming of taking back the land of POJK areas but on that account, govenrment has not been doing anything apart from lip-service.
He further said that a recommendation was made by parlimentary panel for 25 to 30 Lakhs amount as part of one time settlemnet along with other recommendations. "But the amount was reduced to Rs. 5.50 Lakhs while the rest of recommendations have been put under carpet.
Secretary Omparkash Khajuria said that while reducing the amount, the union government had claimed that they have already given many packages to the refugees. "It was sheer lie as nothing was given to refugees while the land, which was alloted to the refugees was also given to them after deducting money from their share given by Union at that time", Khajuria lambasted, adding that though they have been voting in local as well as parliamentary elections but they didn't have their own representatives.
After lapse of over 70 years, the state government has no exact number of refugees due to flawed registration process. "As they have no exact details of refugees, so the meager amount of Rs. 5.50 Lakhs was also not given to all the refugees", Khajuria said, adding that apart from mere assurances, the refugees have not got anything.
The refugee leaders said that the government should stop giving lip-service and need to do concrete for the refugees, so that their issues muust be addressed without wasting more time. |
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