Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 23: The High Court has issued notice in contempt proceedings to the Government for not addressing the grievances of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) in the Valley.
The Division Bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Puneet Gupta issued notice to Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary and Ajay Kumar Bhalla Home Secretary, GoI after the court was apprised that except reservation of quota for non-migrant Pandits in professional Colleges across the country no other grievances were resolved by the authorities till date.
The contempt petition has been filed by Kashmiri Pandit Sangarash Samiti for not resolving the issue pertaining to restoration and selection for 500 posts for 808 Non-Migrant Kashmiri Pandit families living in Kashmir Valley which were earmarked in compliance to the High Court directions read with policy extension letters issued by Ministry of Home Affairs and recommendations issued by 137th and 179th Parliamentary Standing Committee.
It is further contended that no accommodation has been provided to all deserving non-migrant families in light of Ministry of Home Affairs recommendations which stands communicated to the applicant organization vide 16030/3/2016-K-V dated 26.10.2016.
They in their representation submitted before the CS as per the directions of the High Court also sought financial assistance, scholarships to education , higher education to the students belonging to non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Hindus living in the Kashmir Valley.
They also sought financial assistance under PM’s Awas Yojna and other subsidies to the non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Hindu families living in Kashmir Valley who wish to construct their homes back in Kashmir Valley.
They sought Constitution of nodal agency between the UT Government including the Relief Department headed by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir with one member from KPSS Core Committee.
The Samiti though its president had initiated a writ petition which later was treated as public interest litigation by the High Court in which they are seeking a direction to the concerned official to take appropriate action on their representations filed in year 2019 seeking therein a special quota for non-migrant Pandits in professional Colleges across the country.
The Division Bench disposed of the said PIL with the direction to the Chief Secretary, Government of J&K, to consider the grievance of the petitioner as raised in the aforesaid two representations in accordance with law most expeditiously.
The DB had left it open to the petitioner-Samiti to submit a comprehensive representation highlighting all their grievances, if they so desire, within a period of two weeks. The first representation dated 09.04.2019 was forwarded by the Under Secretary to the Government of India to the Chief Secretary vide his covering letter dated 12th July, 2018.
It is noted that during the pendency of the PIL, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has considered the matter in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of J&K and its has been decided to allow the certain concessions to the wards of Kashmiri Migrants as well as Kashmiri Pandits including Kashmiri Hindus who have not migrated from the Valley for their admission in the educational institutions in other parts of country from the academic year 2020-21 and onwards.
The concessions granted by the MHRD included relaxation in cut-off percentage upto 10% subject to minimum eligibility requirement and increase in intake capacity from 1% to 5% as course wise.
The other concession is the reservation of at least one seat in merit quota in technical or professional institutions and waiving off domicile requirements for Kashmiri Migrants only.
Thereafter the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) issued a circular asking all the Directors and Principals of AICTE approved institutions to follow the guidelines issued by the MHRD.
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