* After nod proposal to be sent to MHA
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 17: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday morning, will accord approval to the proposal of the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Department for modification in the Prime Minister’s Package for Return and Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandit (KP) migrants. Following the Cabinet nod, State Government would approach the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for necessary action to meet the aspirations of the migrants community.
Authoritative sources in the General Administration Department (GAD) told EXCELSIOR that as per the decision already taken by the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, this time State Cabinet is meeting at Gurez, one of the remotest corners of the State, at around 12.30 pm on June 20.
“The Cabinet will consider the proposal of the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Department for modifications in the PM’s Package for Return and Rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandit migrants as per the aspirations of the migrant community”, sources said.
“The necessity to carry out modifications in the package was brought to the notice of Union Ministry of Home Affairs by the State Government in the recent past and while giving positive indications the Union Government asked the State Government to get the same prepared in consultation with the migrants community”, sources further said.
Accordingly, the matter was taken up by the Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Raman Bhalla with the Apex Committee of the KPs’ representatives and after thorough discussion the proposal was approved.
“Now the matter is being placed before the State Cabinet and following its approval the same will be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for final decision”, sources said.
In the proposal of the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Department, which has also received the nod of the Apex Committee of KPs’ representatives, it has been recommended that the incentives for construction and renovation of the houses should be enhanced from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh keeping in view escalation in the prices of construction material, sources said.
Similarly, it has also been recommended that financial assistance for repair and renovation of the dilapidated and un-used houses should be enhanced from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, sources added.
As per the proposal, the incentives of Rs 7.5 lakh for purchase/ construction of houses in Group Housing Society in favour of those KP migrants who sold their property after 1989 and before the enactment of J&K Migrants Immovable Property (Preservation and Protection) Act of 1997, should be enhanced to Rs 20 lakh. Moreover, it has been recommended in the proposal that such benefit should also be extended to those migrants, who sold their land or property after coming into force of this Act.
The Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Department proposal has further suggested that the cost of transit accommodation should be enhanced from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for the construction of each dwelling unit on an area of 515 square feet instead of already approved area of 240 square feet, sources informed.
It has also been recommended that monthly cash relief should be enhanced from Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 subject to maximum of Rs 2500 per head per family. Moreover, this relief should be continued at the same rate at least for two years even on return of migrants to Valley, sources said, adding “in the proposal one time financial assistance for restoration of orchards has been recommended at Rs 15,000 per kanal with the maximum ceiling of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10,000 per kanal with the maximum ceiling of Rs 3 lakh for agriculture land”.
“The State Government is also going to recommend that financial assistance should be provided to the KP migrants for the revival of those industrial units, which were set-up before migration”, sources said.
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