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SRINAGAR
This year’s budget saw that more than half of the Rs 580 crore fund allocated for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants remained unutilised during 2015-16
The government has proposed to constitute a 10-member committee of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) to monitor implementation of rehabilitation packages for the migrant community.
The panel, according to the proposal of the Union Home Ministry last month, includes representatives of migrant camps from Muthi and Pukhroo, media reports reaching here said.
The proposal has been sent to governments of Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi, asking them to consult various associations of Kashmiri migrants and offer inputs in the matter at the earliest.
The proposed committee includes representatives of SK Foundation (Sunil Shakdhar), Sampooran Kashmir Sangathan (Anoop Koul), All India Kashmir Samaj (Vijay Aima), Jammu and Kashmir Vichar Manch (Ajay Bharti), Panun Kashmir (Ashwani Charungoo), Kashmiri Pandit Sabha (K K Khosa), Jagti Tenements Committee (S L Pandita), Muthi camp (Payrey Lal), Pukhroo camp (Daya Kishen), and All India Youth Kashmiri Sabha (R K Bhat).
The Narendra Modi government, after assuming office in 2014, had announced an over Rs 500-crore package for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants.
This year’s budget saw that more than half of the Rs 580 crore fund allocated for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants remained unutilised during 2015-16 fiscal.
According to the Union budget, Rs 580 crore was allocated during 2015-16 but as per revised estimates, only Rs 280 crore was provided, leaving Rs 300 crore unutilised.
There are about 62,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country who fled Kashmir Valley in early 1990s.
Besides this, the Prime Minister, during his visit to Kashmir Valley in November last year, had announced a package of over Rs 80,000 crore for the state, of which Rs 5,263 crore were meant for security and welfare of displaced people of the state.
This included amounts towards jobs for Kashmiri migrants, rehabilitation of families from Chhamb and PaK, construction of houses, and setting up of five India Reserve Battalions.
