*Stages symbolic protest
Excelsior Correspondent
SUNDERBANI, Jan 19: A meeting of the displaced persons (DPs) of 1947 from PoJK settled in Tehsil Beripattan and Sunderbani was held under the banner of Jammu Kashmir Sharnarthi Action Committee (JKSAC) wherein hundreds of DPs participated.
The participants strongly demanded the implementation of Joint Parliamentary Committee’s Report No 183 terming it as the only comprehensive roadmap for the settlement of PoJK DPs till the area under illegal occupation of Pakistan is not liberated. It was also demanded that the ST-2 status be also granted to Pahari speaking ethnic group- DPs, settled beyond Rajouri and Poonch.
A protest was also held and slogans were raised in favour of the above said demands. The protest was led by JKSAC president alongwith Col KL Khajuria (Retd.), Nain Chand (Retd DFO), Dr Deep Kumar, Tarlok Singh Tara, Master Roshan Lal and Dev Saroop. They accused the authorities for deliberately withholding the ST-2 certificate to the eligible applicants despite of following the required procedures and duly completing all the documents/formalities.
While addressing the protestors Col. Khajuria appealed to the Govt to grant ST-2 status to all the Pahari group irrespective of their place of residence. He said that all displaced families from POJK are Pahari speaking, share the same culture, language and ethnic identity with their other relations residing in Rajouri and Poonch and the Pahari speaking settled in other areas cannot be deprived of the benefits being provided under the said category.
Gurdev Singh, president said that recommendation made by JPC were submitted to GOI which were tabled in both house of Parliament in Dec 2014 for the acceptance of recommendation made regarding the settlement of DPs of 1947 from PoJK and Chhamb sector. Expressing his dismay Gurdev Singh said that GOI took no decision till date.
He said Cabinet sub-committee headed by Dy CM of the then Govt. earmarked only Rs 2,000 crores for 36,384 DP families of all categories at the rate of Rs 5.5 lakhs each DP family. It is highly unfortunate that cabinet sub-committee of then J&K Govt and MHA officials blatantly ignored the assurance given to JPC members. He said we have never accepted Rs 5.5 lakhs as final settlement of DPs.
Singh appealed to the CM Omar Abdullah and Lt Governor to grant ST-2 status to the Pahari ethnic group residing beyond Rajouri and Poonch and also impress upon the GOI to accept the recommendation of JPC report 183 for the final settlement of DPs till PoJK is liberated from the illegal occupation of Pakistan.
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