‘Fake claimants be identified’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 1: Girdhari Lal Raina, former Member of Legislative Council and spokesperson of BJP has welcomed reconstitution of Screening Committee for registration of Kashmiri migrants.
The screening panel, which has been reconstituted in supersession of all previous orders on the subject, will have the Administrative Secretary, Home Department as its chairman while Additional Director General of Police, CID, J&K; Administrative Secretary, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu will be its members. It is a much needed step and will address long pending issues of a substantial number of deserving families, he said.
Former MLC however cautioned the authorities against blatant misuse by some powerful and influential persons who exploit the provision for their own advantage. He urged the authorities to ensure a fool proof mechanism and prevent non-deserving exploiters and racketeers from stealing benefits of real sufferers.
An artificial category of migrants created by the then Government of Jammu Kashmir in the year 2000 named ‘Political Migrants’ and were accorded registration and granted cash assistance at par with those migrants who had to leave Kashmir during 1989-90 for being targeted by terrorists, revealed Raina. It was claimed that these political migrants were under threat perception, a loaded term. The orders were issued in separate groups, he added.
This claimed threat perception was used by the Government after the 1996 Assembly election in a way to steal whatever little benefits or assistance was given to genuine displaced community by the Centre Government largely due to the efforts of the then Governor Jagmohan.
Cabinet decisions were issued ordering registration of political migrants. Cash assistance was sanctioned in their favour. He asserted that genuine victims shall not be discriminated against on any grounds whatsoever. But this category of political migrants is largely covered under a shroud of mystery keeping them away from public scrutiny.
This category of relief holders reportedly continue to take away benefits meant for genuine sufferers of terrorism including under PM’s Employment Package. It has been noticed that most of them are believed to have since returned to their homes and hearths yet they continue to avail assistance, he said.
Raina demanded a thorough enquiry into this scandal aimed to provide undue benefits to undeserving claimants by misrepresenting facts. Action may be taken against those who have been fraudulently taking reimbursements without being eligible for the same, he added.
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