M A I N   N E W S

Action plan sent to Centre
Rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Feb 14 — The state government had sent an action plan for the rehabilitation of the Kashmiri migrants in the valley to the Central Government for consideration. The plan envisaged an expenditure of Rs 2583 crore.

Stating this in the Assembly during question hour today the Revenue Minister, Mr Abdul Qayoom, said a project, as a first step for the return of 2212 migrant families to the valley, involving an amount of Rs 43.94 crore was also sent to the Central Government for consideration.

Mr Qayoom, however, made it clear that the issue of the return of migrant families to the valley could not be only an administrative decision. The decision was to be taken by the displaced families themselves he said and added that the fluctuating security scenario had discouraged migrants from returning to the valley.

The Revenue Minister said the action plan was discussed with officials of the Union Home Ministry and it was decided that those migrants who had come from Srinagar, Budgam and other areas, where there was less security problem, should be rehabilitated in the first instance. To begin with 200-odd families from Srinagar were to be rehabilitated.

It was also decided to identify people who were to be rehabilitated in clusters and offer them other facilities. Under the decision, nine clusters in Srinagar, 15 each in Baramula, Anantnag, Pulwama 30 in Budgam and 11 in Kupwara were to be set up for these migrant families.

The Panthers Party member, Mr Harsh Dev Singh, who had raised the question on the rehabilitation of the migrants asked the minister to disclose whether the Centre had initiated any action on the plan. Mr Qayoom informed him that the project had been sent to the Central Government and so far no funds had been released.

Mr Harsh Dev Singh and BJP member, Ch Piara Singh, accused the state government of having failed to protect the immovable property of the migrants. They said large chunks of land and several hundred houses of the displaced families had been “grabbed” in the valley by some unscrupulous elements.