Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 22: The Union Government has agreed to the demand of comprehensive settlement of PoK, West Pakistan/ Chhamb refugees and decided to frame a high level committee to examine the cases of refugees, suggest the quantum of financial assistance, land and other benefits for their one time settlement.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde besides, the UPA chairperson and AICC president Sonia Gandhi told the high powered delegation of Pradesh Congress Committee led by its president Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz to settle the decades old pending issue of West Pakistan refugees of 1947 and displaced persons of 1947, 65 and 1971.
Prof Soz was accompanied by Congress Ministers, R S Chib, Raman Bhalla, Sham Lal Sharma, MPs Madan Lal Sharma and Ch Lal Singh, PCC spokesperson and general secretary Ravinder Sharma (MLC) and former Minister Manjit Singh.
The delegation first met the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in his office chamber in the Union capital at 11 am and then around 11.40 am with the Prime Minister and later to the UPA chairperson and party president Sonia Gandhi.
During meetings with Prime Minister and Home Minister the Congress delegation briefed them about the decades old demands and struggle of over 12 lakh refugees from Pak occupied Kashmir, Chhamb and West Pakistan. They also submitted a memoranda to Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Shinde, projecting pending demands of the refugees who are residing in various parts of Jammu region and outside the State.
It was also pointed out by the delegation that refugees and their children from West Pakistan can not apply for Government jobs and purchase property in the State. They should be provided reservation in the Central Government jobs and other relaxations should also be given to them. Many of them are struggling for the ownership rights of their EP properties under their possession.
The delegation stressed upon the Union leaders that resolution of refugees issue was one of the points, mentioned in the Congress manifesto during last elections and the party was committed for the same. They reminded the Prime Minister about submission of a memorandum earlier also during his visit to Jammu last year, regarding refugees’ demands.
They further briefed the leaders about various other genuine demands of different categories of these refugees and displaced persons which have remained unresolved so far and urged for constitution of a high powered committee by the Central Government to examine various issues and demands of these sections for one time settlement including special concessions in the field of education and recruitment in Central Government services.
Both the leaders agreed to frame a committee to examine these issues and decide on the quantum of relief package/ compensation, deficiency of land etc and recommend to the Government for comprehensive settlement of refugees.
The Congress delegation also discussed the issue of border migrants and other people residing close to the Line of Control (LoC) for their relief and alternate sites for their accommodation in the safer zones in their respective areas in view of the increasing number of incidents of firing from the Pakistani side for the last few months now along IB and the LoC.
The delegation later, met the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and submitted a memorandum to her. During 20-minute long meeting with Mrs Gandhi, Prof Soz and others projected the long pending demands of the PoK and West Pakistan refugees and sought her intervention for their comprehensive settlement. Mrs Gandhi listened to these issues patiently and assured firmly to settle these decades long demands once for all, after discussing it with Prime Minister and Home Minister.
PCC spokesman when contacted said that today’s meeting was only confined to issues of refugees and border migrants besides those affected with Pak firing along IB and LoC. He said during meetings with all the three top Congress leaders, the pending issues of refugees were widely discussed. The response of Prime Minister, Congress president and Home Minister was very positive. They have assured the delegation to frame a high level committee to examine and decide on the quantum of compensation per family, land or other benefits etc. He said earlier, a package of Rs 1700 crore was also projected by State Government but for comprehensive settlement of these affected family this package will not be sufficient and now this has to be worked out by the Central Committee being appointed by Prime Minister, he added.
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