Tenure nearing end, Mufti keen to bring Pandits back

The PDP, likely to hand over charge to a Congress CM in November, is keen on notching another success story after the Muzaffarabad bus — bring back the Pandits.

The government has decided to discourage fresh registration of the migrants outside the Valley to ensure their safe return. ‘‘We have taken the decision that the migrants should be rehabilitated at their own district headquarters in Valley. It is the responsibility of the administration to provide the security to Kashmiri migrants. We have decided to discourage fresh registration of migrants,’’ J-K Revenue Minister Hakeem Mohamad Yaseen said. ‘‘We have received letters from at least 1,500 migrant families who want to return.’’ The government is expected to move the migrants in June.

Officials said the construction of the 310 room residential accommodation for the Kashmiri Pandits at Shiekhpoora will be completed by the end of May and following that the Kashmiri Pandits will be taken to the Valley.

The frontline organisation of Kashmiri Pandits, Panun Kashmir Movement, has opposed the decision, saying the government should focus on creating ‘‘appropriate’’ atmosphere for the return of migrants. President of the movement Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo said the government’s decision is ‘‘coercive’’. ‘‘By stopping registration, migrant families who don’t have a source of income will not be able to get relief from the government,’’ said Chrungoo.