Akshay Azad
Jammu, July 20: On the hind side of bitter politicking over the issue of one time settlement for the PoK refugees in Jammu and Kashmir, the bizarre fact is that the Jammu and Kashmir government has no record of refugees displaced in 1947 from various areas of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir.
In reply to an RTI application filed by a Human Right activist Om Parkash Khajuria of Miran Sahib, the office of Custodian (Ex-officio Provincial Rehabilitation Officer) Jammu, number PRO/2013-14/674, has explicitly maintained that no list of refugees was available with the office.
Moreover, the reply further stated that however 31619 displaced families of 1947 from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir were registered with the Organization. "A large number of refugees have not registered with PRO office and were also not allotted the land. Similarly, there are a large number of families, which were allotted land by government but are not registered with PRO office and even their records are not available there", Khajuria said, adding that L-form was considered as record for refugee families, but numerous families were not getting their L-forms from PRO office.
The reply further said that no list of camp/no camp refugees has been prepared by the office but 5300 refugee families opted to settle outside the state of Jammu and Kashmir. From the response of PRO, it has been explicitly clear that no complete record of refugees is with the state government.
Terming the announcements and proposed package for refugees as merely a hoax and poll plank, Khajuria further said that after the lapse of more than 65 years of migration of refugees, the government which has failed to maintain record of refugees, would do something, it was a million dollar question.
Another refugee, Satish Sharma said that majority of refugees didn't get their records from PRO office. "The computerization of records has not been done, in absence of which the records files of refugees have been ruining and biting by termite and rodents at PRO office with each passing day", he said, alleging that even there was acute dearth of staff at PRO office, which also spoke the volumes of government's non-seriousness.
RTI activist Khajuria had also sought copy of the draft package prepared by Revenue department for settlement of claims of refugees from Pakistan, which is so far not make public by government but the Revenue department has not provided any copy and gave an ambiguous reply, which failed to illustrate that whether there was actually any draft package or not.?
"During 2013-14 a detailed interaction/deliberation was held between the Minister for Revenue and representatives of Displaced persons. The issue of permanent rehabilitation was also brought to the notice of Parliamentary Standing Committee by representatives of DPs during visit to Jammu. Based on inputs the department has prepared a package which has been submitted to the General Administrative Department", the reply concluded, but Revenue department has not provided the copy of draft package.
None of the legislator, Minister of coalition government or from any other political party has asked the government for number of refugees so far and if in such situation, package will be announced, numerous families will be denied the same. |
