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| Centre yet to receive J&K's financial package proposal for West Pakistan Refugees | | Hollow claim exposed | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 28: Amid vehement claims of previous NC-Congress regime as well as present PDP-led dispensation, Jammu and Kashmir Government is yet to send a formal proposal to Union Home Ministry for providing one time financial package to West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs).
This is in the backdrop of recent claims of a Central Minister that the cash relief to the refugees including West Pakistan Refugees (WPR) would be disbursed directly by Union Home Ministry and the role of State Government would be restricted to providing the list of eligible refugees. According to official documents available with Early Times, Union Home Secretary vide D.O. letter dated 07-11-2014 addressed to Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir and subsequent letter dated 21-11-2014 has requested the State Government to send the proposal for one time financial package in respect of the West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) to it within shortest possible time.
In the latest instant, the Union Home Ministry again requested Jammu and Kashmir Government for sending one time proposal for resettlement of West Pakistan Refugees (WPR) vide this Ministry's letter dated 29-07-2015 and 10-11-2015. However, there has been no response from State Government despite claims and counterclaims in media both by ruling BJP and opposition Congress of having done too much to ameliorate the lot of West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs).
This seemingly delinquent attitude of the State Government is shocking since a Rajya Sabha Committee on Home Affairs had recommended that Central Government should impress upon the State Government for early finalization of one time financial package for settlement of West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs). The committee is of the considered view that even if West Pakistani Refugees cannot be equated with the Kashmiri Pandit migrants, but they deserve immediate relief and rehabilitation for sustenance without delay.
Committee had asked the Union Home Ministry to provide one time compensation of Rs. 30 lakhs within one year to these refugees with a strict warning that there should not be any delay in the matter. While the Union Home Ministry is dejected with the response of the State Government, this committee which had taken up the cause of West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) had in a letter addressed to Union Home Secretary expressed displeasure over what it described as indifferent attitude of State Government towards the problems of West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs).
The committee had in the letter expressed regret and dismay over the non-serious attitude of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, owing to which it had not furnished proposal to Union Ministry of Home Affairs to procure one time financial package to WPRs who are otherwise in dire need for immediate relief and rehabilitation for sustenance. It had stated that West Pakistan Refugees are not given adequate assistance by the J&K State Government and hence they are forced to live in miserable conditions.
Subsequent to these comments of the committee, Union Home Ministry began pursuing the issue with Jammu and Kashmir Government on war-footing basis. The Ministry kept writing letters to the Chief Secretary but on most of the occasions, there was no response from the State Government to the repeated requests. Ministry kept asking the State Government and even, has in the last month also sought proposal from it for advancing an economic relief package for WPRs.
But if the official documents are to be believed, State is yet to send a comprehensive financial package to the Central Government for the settlement of West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs). Such is the state of the affairs that Union Home Secretary in a meeting told the committee on Home Affairs that it would prefer dealing directly with West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) since the State Government has been delaying the finalization of the financial package without giving any concrete reason for the same. He had further stated that there was no way out then to roll out a package based on the recommendations of the Wadhwa Committee Report.
Whether or not the Central Government deals directly with the Refugees in Jammu and Kashmir is to be seen but the fact remains that none in J&K is serious about addressing the internal dimensions and healing the wounds of the commoners. Come elections and the refugees are assured of being taken care well but once the Member Parliaments (MPs) and MLAs are elected, this issue of human suffering dies its own death. |
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