Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 14: Several organisations of Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) Displaced Persons (DPs) came down heavily on the UT administration for trivializing the colossal suffering and pain endured by the displaced persons, alleging that the LG has brazenly ignored the genuine issues of DPs.
The leaders of these organizations, in a joint statement issued here, voiced their strong discontent over the wasteful expenditure being planned for the construction of a Bhawan for PoJK DPs in the Suketar area, situated on Jammu-Udhampur highway. They objected to the foundation stone laying ceremony performed by LG Manoj Sinha on Tuesday.
In a scathing attack on the UT administration for ignoring the plight of the community, the DPs leaders asked how this Bhawan would support the livelihood of Displaced Persons who are living in a miserable condition. “A drama was enacted to lay the foundation stone of a Bhawan for PoJK. Fake refugees were ferried by bus to the venue. The UT administration has been raking up irrelevant issues while overlooking the genuine concerns of the DPs,” they alleged.
They questioned the relevance of such a Bhawan in addressing the dire needs of the DPs who are currently enduring miserable condition in different parts of the country. They emphasized that the proposed Bhawan, located away from the refugees habitation, was neither requested, nor deemed essential by the refugees themselves.
“We would like to know as to how this Bhawan will support the livelihood of lakhs of refugees living in different parts of Jammu region. Refugees did not request for such a Bhawan. Instead, various critical issues concerning PoJK refugees have been sidelined,” they asserted.
These leaders further said the J&K Govt had approved a comprehensive package for PoJK DPs in October 2014. The package was an outcome of the decades-long struggle of community leaders. Unfortunately, the LG administration did nothing to ameliorate the suffering of displaced persons. This package actually included Rs 25 lakh compensation for each PoJK community family, reservation in professional and technical colleges of the country for our youth and a provision of creation of 8500 jobs for the youth belonging to PoJK community. Unfortunately, the UT administration continues to maintain a silence over it,” they regretted.
The signatories to this statement are: Jagjit Singh Sudan- president MJR-47, Gurdev Singh- president Sharnarthi Action Committee, Rajiv Chuni- Chairman SOS International, Capt
Yudhvir Singh- president PoJK DPs Front 1947, 65, 71 (Camp & Non-camp) and SR Nagyal, president Chhamb Displaced Persons Association-1971.
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