Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 9: The MPoK Refugees Welfare Society, Punjab, staged a protest demonstration against the discrimination faced by 5300 families displaced from Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
These families claimed they were excluded from the one-time financial package of Rs 2000 crores based solely on their place of residence. Due to insufficient arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) at the time, the protesting families claimed the Government relocated them to various States across India.
These 5300 displaced families belong to the minority Hindu and Sikh communities from 1508 villages in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimbar, Gilgit, Baltistan, Poonch Jagir, Deva Batala, and other areas. They previously resided in PoJK before the tribal raid in October 1947.
Designated as Displaced Persons from the occupied area of J&K, they were qualified permanent residents of the State with voting rights, property acquisition rights, and eligibility for Government jobs. However, they have been excluded from any financial benefits announced by the Central Government.
Registered in 1960 by the Provincial Rehabilitation Department in Jammu, these families were advised to quote their registration numbers for future correspondence. An ex-gratia amount of Rs 3500 per family was disbursed to them during 1960-64, but no further compensation was provided for their left-behind properties.
One of the protestors said that despite news in 2019 that the 5300 DPs were included in a package of Rs 2000 crore, only a few families returned to J&K, while the majority remained in different States.
“The Government’s recent notification emphasized extending the refugee package benefits to all refugees, but no steps have been taken to include the 5300 DPs residing outside J&K,” he said.
The MPoK Refugees Welfare Society demanded the inclusion of all 5300 DPs residing outside Jammu, as they are entitled to financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakhs. They are part of the total 31,619 families recognized in the Parliamentary Report-183 dated 22nd December 2014.
The society urged the Provincial Rehabilitation Officer in Jammu to prepare the final list and facilitate the disbursement of Rs 5.5 lakhs to provide immediate justice to these victim families.
The society also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister, Amit Shah, and Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha to intervene and amend the necessary provisions, granting these rightful original inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir the entitled benefits, including the cash benefit of Rs 5.5 lakhs.
Follow our WhatsApp channel