3 min readNew DelhiOct 10, 2019 06:54 AM IST
First published on: Oct 10, 2019 at 02:47 AM IST
Prakash Javadekar
Each of the 5,300 displaced families, which came from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the wake of Pakistani aggression in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 and settled outside J&K before relocating to the state, will get a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakh from the Centre, as per a decision taken during a Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
“Cabinet approves inclusion of 5,300 DP families of Jammu & Kashmir-1947 who initially opted to move outside the State of Jammu & Kashmir but later on returned and settled in the State… in the Rehabilitation Package approved by the Cabinet on November 30, 2016 for Displaced Families of PoJK and Chhamb under the PM’s Development Package 2015 for Jammu & Kashmir,” read the official statement.
Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, said, “Today we have done justice to them… Now, 5,300 families will also get Rs 5.5 lakh each. And this is a historical wrong that has been corrected.”
According an official statement, in the wake of the 1947 Pakistani aggression in J&K, 31,619 families migrated from Pakistan-occupied areas of J&K (PoJK) to the state of J&K. Of these, 5,300 families initially opted to move out to other parts of the country and were not included in the approved package. Families among the 5,300 who later returned and settled in J&K are being included in the package now, it said. The remaining 26,319 displaced families were earlier included under the rehabilitation package.
ExplainedPart of BJP’s commitment
Rehabilitation of displaced families settled in J&K has been part of the ruling BJP’s commitment to its supporters in the state. In the first term of the Narendra Modi government, a rehabilitation scheme was rolled out covering families displaced from PoK and Chhamb at the time of Partition. However, several families who initially opted to move outside but later returned to J&K could not get benefits of the scheme. The move seeks to bring parity among displaced families.
According to the statement, 10,065 more families were displaced from Chhamb Niabat during the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 — 3,500 in 1965 and 6,565 in 1971.
“The 36,384 displaced families covered under the package approved by the Cabinet on 30.11.2016 included 26,319 displaced families from PoJK settled in J&K and 10,065 displaced families displaced from Chhamb Niabat area. The 5,300 displaced families of PoJK who initially opted to move out of the state of J&K to other parts of the country were not included in the approved package.”
It said the inclusion of 5,300 families will “enable them to earn a reasonable monthly income and be part of mainstream economic activities”.
Prakash Javadekar
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