Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 20: State Government today admitted that there were 381 families of Burmese nationals residing in J&K and out of these refugees, 351 families are in possession of cards of United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra while replying on behalf of Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation to a question of Congress legislator Jahangir Hussain Mir in the Upper House today disclosed that the number of families of Burmese (Now Mayanmar) nationals is nearly 381. He also disclosed that out of these families 351 of them have cards from UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees, whereas, 30 families are without such cards.
Mr Sadhotra further disclosed that apart from these refugees from Mayanmar, there are 26319 registered families of PoK refugees, 5764 families of West Pakistani refugees and 10115 families of Chhamb refugees.
When asked whether the Government of India has given asylum to Burmese refugees and if so, have they been provided facilities as per the provisions of International charter of United Nations governing the rights of refugees, the Minister said there is no national law for refugees, but 351 Burmese families keep UN High Commissioner’s cards. But no special facilities are being accorded to them.
Replying to another question regarding West Pakistani refugees and facilities being accorded to them by Government, the Minister said this category of refugees could not be provided such facilities which were extended to other categories of refugees, like PoK and Chhamb refugees. He said the main reason for not extending such facilities to them is that West Pakistan refugees are not permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir State.
Another Congress Member, Ghulam Nabi Monga while raising supplementary asked if Government of India has asked the State to recommend a package for comprehensive settlement of refugees of all types what was the reason behind the delay, the Minister replied, the revised package was under the active consideration of the State Government and it would be recommended shortly to the Central Government for approval.
When asked about the time frame, the Minister avoided any firm commitment but simply maintained that Government was serious on the issue of refugees. He said as and when a package is finalized, it would be forwarded to the Government of India. Two more Congress members pressed for the reply but the Government avoided to elaborate or take on any more supplimentaries.
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