Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 18: The ‘Coalition’ Congress members today staged walk out of the Upper House over the issue of refuges of 1947, 65 and 71 including displaced persons from West Pakistan.
The issue was raised in the Upper House through ‘calling attention notice’ by Congress members Ravinder Sharma, B R Kundal and Naresh Gupta. The members contested that Government was not serious over the issue of refugees from PoK and those from West Pakistan/ Chhamb. They are on the roads and fighting for justice for the last many decades. Even the Government has sat on the Wadhwa Committee report which came about six years back. A package for refugees on the directions of the Central Government has been worked out but the State Government is not forwarding the same to the Centre and delaying it deliberately for the last one and half year. Even the bonafide state subjects (DPs) and allottees have been deprived of their rights.
These members again contested that the reply given by Minister Incharge Revenue Aijaz Ahmed Khan (from Congress Party) was not satisfactory and staged walked out. Dy Chairman Javed Rana who was in the ‘chair’ tried to convince the members but they remained unmoved and staged walk out to lode their protest. They said many refugees are facing identity crisis and they are facing lot of hardships many of them do not have voting right and the Government must take early decision in this regard.
Earlier, responding to the notice, MoS for Revenue (Ind Charge) Aijaz Khan said around 26319 families from PoK, 5764 from West Pakistan migrated during 1947 and settled in the State. Also during Indo Pak war of 1965 and 71, around 10,115 families got dislocated from 46 villages of Chhamb area (Pakistan). Out of the PoK refugees migrated in 1947, 22719 families settled in rural areas and 3600 urban. The families who got settled in rural areas were provided land at the scale of 4 acre irrigated and 6 acre un-irrigated and the total land allotted was 10 lakh kanals. These families were also provided Rs 1000 in cash for settlement. 1628 quarters and 793 plots were allotted to the families settled in urban areas.
“The State Government could not provide much facilities to the West Pakistan refugees as they were not permanent residents of the State like the PoK refugees”, the Minister maintained.
The Minister further said that these displaced persons from West Pakistan/ Chhamb occupied 46466 kanals of land and since then they continued to occupy such land. No further facilities could be provided to them by State Government because of non resident status. With regard to Chhamb refugees around 10115 families had to shift from 26 villages of Chhamb area during 1965 and 71 war and out of these 8150 families settled in rural areas. The Government established 156 bastis in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts for them, where residential plots were allotted in additional to the land at the scale of 4 acre irrigated and 6 acre un-irrigated. Also Rs 3000 was paid as cash compensation to the families who got dislocated in 1965 and Rs 7500 to such families who were displaced in 1971. Another package of Rs 30.63 crore at the rate of Rs 1.50 lakh has been disbursed to some 2524 PoK refugee families 317 such families have yet to get the money. There are some additional claims the number of which is 1119 but no further progress has been made so far. As far as 1965 and 71 refugees are concerned they were provided land at the same scale. 699 families had reported land deficiency and all such families have been paid compensation at the rate of Rs 5000 per kanal irrigated and Rs 3320 un-irrigated.
As far West Pakistan refugees are concerned they wanted that State should declare them as permanent residents but the same could not be done due to legal implications. In order to consider their claim it needs amendment to the State Constitution, as such the matter is undecided. All the DPs have put forth demand that some additional benefit should be provided to them such as employment package, reservation in professional colleges, one time settlement by payment of cash compensation against the property etc. G D Wadhwa committee had also submitted a report which is under consideration before cabinet sub committee and in the meantime in consultation with the leaders of DPs a financial package has been prepared by the Government which is being submitted to the Union Government in due course of time. It covers all the DPs, the Minister added.
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