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| 4621 expressed willingness but none ready to go back: Report | | Valley situation not conducive for return of KPs, says union home Ministry | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
jammu, July 2: 4621 Kashmir Pandit families expressed willingness to return to Kashmir valley but even after three years, Jammu and Kashmir government has been unable to bring even one family back.
To make the matters worse, Union Home Ministry is not ready to buy often repeated claims of Jammu and Kashmir government that situation has improved in valley and militancy is having its last breath. It still does not believe that valley is ready to accord warm welcome to the displaced Kashmiri Pandits. The ministry in its status report says that arrangements are being made for providing the facilities for return of Kashmiri Pandits once situation in Valley improves.
Even the much advertised employment package and repeated assurances of both mainstream and separatists voices has been unable to bring back confidence among the displaced Kashmiri Pandits to return to their native places across the valley. Status report of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs speaks in volumes about how bleak New Delhi thinks the situation is and how difficult return of migrant families is.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced package for return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants in the year 2008 and state cabinet immediately approved the package. Not only this, government also constituted an apex advisory committee under the Chairmanship of the revenue minister to oversee effective implementation of the Prime Minister's Package on return of Kashmiri migrants to Kashmir Valley.
4621 migrant families submitted applications showing their willingness to return to Valley and avail the monetary and other concession available under the package. Out of 4621 applications received, report says that 1682 families are still in possession of immovable assets and verification has been completed. Through public notice applicants were informed to furnish their plan to return to the Valley so that necessary arrangements are made for their return and making incentive available under the PM's Package.
Shockingly, of 4621 families which submitted the applications, 172 families knocked at the doors of the government expressing their willingness to return to their places of birth. Official records and on ground verifications conducted by a team of Early Times affirmed that even these 172 families are yet to return. Their houses are in extremely bad shape, orchards ruined, land grabbed and business establishments raised to ground.
There are instances where the migrant property is intact but by and large, they require huge money for re-built their palatial houses where they used to live. They continue to live either in dilapidated houses or in flats constructed by the state government with the help of union government. Union government has so far released Rs. 12.1993 crore (Rs 8.35 crores on 5-11-2008 and Rs 3.8493 on 29-3-2010) under the scheme.
Report asserts that though none of the KP families have returned, transit accommodations are almost ready at Vessu (Kulgam), Baramulla, Pulwama and Kupwara. It maintains that
Department of J&K Affairs in the union home ministry has approved construction of 200 flats at Sheikhpora in Budgam District on an experiment basis at an approximate total expenditure of Rs. 22.90 crore.
Out of the 180 flats completed, possession of 108 flats is with Relief Organization, a good number have been allotted to Kashmiri Pandits who were living in Budgam district of Kashmir Valley. Another 18 flats have also been completed at Mattan, Anantnag to use as transit accommodation for the Kashmiri Migrants who would return to the Valley.
Already 418 flats are completed and have been allotted to the candidates who have been appointed under Prime Minister's package as a temporary settlement on sharing basis till they make arrangements for their own accommodation. Finding the going tough, sources in the union home ministry said that providing employment to unemployed Kashmiri youth is expected to be the beginning of return of Kashmiri migrants to Valley as it is presumed that their families shall follow them subsequently. They added that even then, with extremism taking roots across the valley, return of Kashmiri Pandits would have to be supplemented by increased security presence. |
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