SRINAGAR: Over 46,000 Kashmiri families left the valley in the early 1990s due to security reasons, the government said in Lok Sabha.
Nityanand Rai, MoS for Home Affairs, replied to Shiv Sena MP Kalaben Mohanbhai Delkar’s question about the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rai said, “46,631 Kashmiri Migrant families were registered with the Relief Organisation (Migrant), while several other Kashmiri Migrant families migrated to other parts of the country.”
He continued, “As many as 46,631 Kashmiri Migrant families comprising 1,57,967 individuals are registered with the Relief Organization (Migrant), Jammu and Kashmir, while several other Kashmiri Migrant families migrated to other parts of the country in the early 1990s due to security reasons.”
Rai provided written responses, mentioning the government’s measures for Kashmiri Pandit rehabilitation over the past five years. According to him, the government has taken steps to bring back Kashmiri Migrants, including providing government employment to 5,675 individuals. He stated, “The Government of Jammu and Kashmir launched an online portal in August 2021 wherein Kashmiri Migrants can lodge online grievances with regards to encroachment, change of title, Mutation, and distress sale. To date, 2924 Kanals and 19.55 Marlas land have been retrieved.”
Other initiatives mentioned by Rai include issuing ration cards to Kashmiri Migrant families without them, providing Ayushman Sehat Cards to families registered for Domicile Certificates, and extending benefits of Social Security schemes to Kashmiri Migrant families.
He added, “Launching of online services for registration and issuance of certificates. So far, 160856 domicile certificates, 2035 Resident of Backward Area (RBA) certificates, 902 EWS certificates, and 31672 migrant certificates have been issued.”
Despite these efforts, Rai acknowledged the historical failure of successive governments to implement a successful rehabilitation policy, preventing the return of Kashmiri Pandits who fled in the late 1990s due to escalating militancy in the region.
