Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 15: Former MLC and chief spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, Ravinder Sharma has questioned the Govt decision to wind up the PRO Jammu from Custodian Office, causing undue hardships to the suffering displaced community of 1947 from PoJK and asked the Govt to restore the status quo besides strengthening of PRO with manpower.
Terming the decision as ill advised and a step taken on the behest of certain vested interests, Sharma said that it is anti-refugee step of the present dispensation, without realizing the hardships to be caused to the displaced community by such action.
He said that instead of strengthening the Provincial Rehabilitation Organization, the Govt has shifted its office to the civil secretariat, beyond the approach of common refugees who would visit from farflung areas of the Jammu province for redressal of their grievances besides getting copies of their old records. The displaced community of over 31,719 families out of which 26,319 families registered in J&K and residing in various parts of Jammu province have numerous pending issues with PRO Jammu. It was in 1982 by then Sheikh Abdullah Govt, that such anti-refugee step was taken, which was vehemently opposed by the Congress and refugees organizations J&K Sharnarthi Action Committee, as a result the PRO office was restored by vesting powers to custodian Jammu in 1984 by the then Shah Govt supported by Congress.
Now, the BJP controlled dispensation has taken this anti-refugees step, instead of strengthening the PRO organization which is the need of the hour. He said that instead of registration of claims of DPs of 1947, settled outside J&K with the Relief organization for Kashmiri migrants, it should be given to the PRO office to do justice to them. The left out claims of the deserving and bonafide refugees families of PoJK of 1947 should be registered for relief & domicile purposes, after due verifications on merit, with PRO Jammu, as it has been agreed by the State Government while recommending the package to the Centre in 2014. He said PRO office should function at Custodian/EP office Jammu.
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