Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 7: In another step forward on return of Kashmiri migrants to the Valley, the Centre has asked the State Government to work out modalities for return of Pandits to Kashmir including the problems which the Government and migrant Pandits could face once the proposal to take them back to their homes matured.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the State Government has further asked Revenue and Home Departments to come out with a detailed roadmap of modalities required for return of migrants to the Valley once the return plan matured after parleys between representatives of the migrants and Government of India, which would be represented by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
“We have received a direction from the Union Government to work out modalities for return of the Kashmiri migrants to their homes. We are on the job. The modalities would be kept ready and submitted to the Government as and when asked for,’’ sources in the two Departments—Home and Revenue, which have been designated as Nodal Departments for drafting modalities for return of migrants, said.
Sources said the State Government wants to be ready with the modalities for sharing them with the Government of India once ‘return package’ for the migrants, which was reiterated by the State Government in the last Cabinet meeting and sent to the Union Home and Finance Ministry for their appraisal, gets the nod from the Government of India.
The modalities included preparation of data of Kashmiri migrants putting up in Jammu, New Delhi and other areas, obtaining willingness of the migrants, who were ready to return through Expression of Interest, identification of places for small clusters to keep the migrants, number of posts to be advertised and filled for the migrants and other issues being expressed or likely to be raised by the migrants for their safe return to the Valley after a gap of nearly two and half decades.
It may be mentioned here that the State Government had in the last Cabinet meeting reiterated the package for return of Kashmiri migrants and sent it to the Union Home and Finance Ministries, who had desired the same as both the Ministries wanted to discuss it with representatives of the migrants before giving final touch to their return formula to the Kashmir Valley.
“While Revenue Department will work out modalities like release of package, identification of clusters and others localities where the migrants wanted to return, release of Government jobs etc, the Home Department would devised security plan for the return of the migrants,’’ sources said, adding that once the two Departments come out with the modalities and submit them to the State Government, they would be shared with the Union Government.
Sources pointed out that both Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley, who were working on return formula for the migrants, didn’t want to take any unilateral decision in haste and would like to have detailed talks with representatives of the Pandits and explain to them the package devised for their return and modalities for their return and safety in the Kashmir Valley.
Sources, however, admitted that the entire process of return could take time as most of the functionaries of the State Government especially the Union Finance Minister would remain busy with the Parliament, whose budget session started today and was likely to continue till August 8.
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