PM announces far-reaching assistance to Kashmiri migrants

To facilitate the return of Kashmiri migrants to their forefather’s homeland the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir announced on Friday hefty measures ranging from financial assistance to migrants, government jobs, and waiver of interest on loans.

Taking into consideration the plight of the migrants, the PM said, “We have a collective responsibility to facilitate the return of these families, who are integral party of the social fabric of the area."

The Prime Minister announced piles of financial assistance to the Kashmiri migrants with the sole purpose of bringing them back to home to lead a life of dignity and honour in their forefather’s land. He told the total expenditure on all these assistance proposals would be Rs 1,600 crore.

The Centre acting on the proposal of State government to provide 6000 jobs to the educated migrant youth in the state government services with a view of augmenting employment opportunities committed to share the burden in terms of their salaries for about half of them. However the assistance will not be in perpetuity and provided till their permanent posts within the specific time period.

The Prime Minister did not curtail central monetary assistance to the state government services rather signalled a hefty financial package for other unemployed migrant youth to engage them in self-employment through vocational training.

Dr Singh also committed to provide lump-sum grants to the migrant families to re-engage them in agriculture and horticulture or other who are already engaged to renew their occupation in the field.

Also those Kashmiri migrants who had taken loans prior to their migration after 1989 may provide relief from paying interest on unpaid loans.

Dr Singh announced exceptional relief of one-time compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for migrant families eligible for compassionate appointments, but had not been able to secure the benefit for different reasons.

Monthly pension payable to widows under the scheme of Rehabilitation Council of J&K would now be Rs 750 per month from the existing level of Rs 500 monthly. Assistance to orphans caused by militancy related violence will now cover all such children without any discrimination.

The Government will also provide assistance for education of children of migrant families through J&K Rehabilitation Council.

The prominent economists Manmohan Singh also paid attention to the hardships, which the people from West Pakistan still have to face when these Indian citizens are called by refugees.

The PM also announce hefty of measure for them by giving concessions to enable their children and grand children to seek admission in technical educational institutions in various parts of the country, facilitating bank loans without security of land and finally vocational training opportunities under the Skill Development Initiative of the Government of India.

Taking into account the recommendations of the State government, Dr Singh proclaimed Central assistance of Rs 50 crore for ensuring PoK refugees of 1947 to resolve their problems related to cases of land.

The PM also said that about 15,000 families which had settled in Jammu, Delhi and in other parts of India, who were willing to go back, will be given two more years of monthly relief package to enable a smooth transition.

Prime Minister was addressing the public rally at Akhnoor after inaugurating the country’s first pylon-to-pylon 280-metre long bridge on the river Chenab. The bridge will connect the Kashmir valley with frontier districts of Rajouri and Poonch. As against Rs 7.7 million, the approximate cost that was envisaged in 1977, finally accomplished at a cost of Rs 230 million.

The bridge over river Ravi is being built in this State. This will further improve intra-state and inter-state connectivity for Jammu & Kashmir, he opined.