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| Grant PRCs to West Pak Refugees: MHA to J&K | | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 27: Union Home Ministry has officially asked Jammu and Kashmir government to confer permanent resident status to the West Pakistani Refugees settled in the state.
In a D.O. letter dated 07-11-2014 addressed to the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Secretary has requested state government to immediately find out ways and means of issuing Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs) to West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs). The Union Home Secretary has reiterated that it has taken up this issue on a number of occasions with the Jammu and Kashmir government but without much success.
The Secretary has referred to Ministry's letter dated 07-01-2015 in which the state government has again been requested to issue domicile certificates to the WPRs. Not only this, the Union Home Secretary has stated that the government of Jammu and Kashmir has further been requested that pending conferment of Permanent Resident Status to the WPRs, a temporary waiver should be made for the admission of the children in the professional institutions in the state.
However, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs vide its communication dated December 4, 2015 said that state government has not yet replied in this regard. It reiterated that it had again requested vide MHA's letter dated 29.07.2015 and 10.11.2015 for furnishing action taken report but the same is yet to be made available by the state government.
With regard to admission of children/grand-children of West Pakistani Refugees to technical educational institutions in the State, Supreme Court in the case of Bachan Lal Kalgotra Vs. States & Ors in its judgement dated 20-02-1987 had suggested that appropriate executive directions could be issued by the state government. MHA vide its D.O. letter dated 24.07.2012 had requested the State government to take appropriate action so that the grievances of the WPRs are redressed.
MHA has stated that government of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet replied on the action taken by them in this regard. The State Government has again been requested vide that the Ministry's letter dated 29-07-2015 and 10-11-2015 to take necessary action and to intimate the Ministry of a Home Affairs. But the same has not been replied despite repeated reminders.
Union Ministry vide its letter dated 07-01-2015 has taken up the issue of providing concession in the matter of admission into the technical/professional institutions outside the State of J&K with the Central Department of Higher Education. Union Ministry vide its letter dated 07-01-2015 has requested for providing concession to the wards of WPRs, within the overall limits which has already been provided to the Kashmiri migrants.
MHA has expressed serious concern that the West Pakistani Refugees, who are very much citizens of India and eligible for voting in Parliamentary elections do not possess right to vote in the state Assembly elections on the pretext that they are not permanent residents of the State in terms of the J&K constitution. MHA has said that though they are living there for more than 60 years, they are not leading the life of free citizens despite having voting rights for Parliament.
MHA has said that Parliamentary voting right has not earned them any special benefits. MHA has impressed upon the state government to consider, as a onetime measure, the demand of West Pakistani Refugees to grant them the status of permanent residents of the State sympathetically so that they can live as state subject in a dignified way, with all legal rights including right to vote in State Legislative Assembly. |
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