MHA to discuss ATR on refugees, migrants tomorrow

JAMMU, Sept 17: The Action Taken Report (ATR) of 137th meeting of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on PoK refugees, West Pak refugees and migrants from J&K will be discussed at a high level meeting in New Delhi on September 19.

According to highly placed sources, the meeting will be chaired by Union Home Secretary, Anil Goswami and among others it will be attended by Additional Secretary, Foreign Division of Ministry of Home Affairs. The J&K Government will be represented by Revenue Secretary, Vinod Kaul and Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, R K Pandita. Besides the representatives of Delhi Government will also attend the meeting, they added.

Sources said the meeting will take up for discussion Rs 1800 crore rehabilitation package for PoK and West Pak refugees which was submitted to Union Government by the then Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister, Raman Bhalla and endorsed by Pradesh Congress chief, Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz. The meeting will also discuss the ATR of the various organizations and Governments including J&K and Delhi prepared in the last meeting held in Union Capital on July 30, sources added.

Sources said, the representatives of West Pak refugees, PoK refugees, and militancy affected people of Jammu region and Kashmiri migrants have also been invited to take part in the meeting.

The PoK refugees will be represented by convener of its Sangarsh Morcha, Dr Narinder Singh, while West Pak refugees will be represented by Laba Ram Gandhi, militancy affected people will be represented by ex MLA Farooq Ahmed Mir, Kashmiri Pandit organizations will be represented by H L Chatta, Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, Virender Raina, H N Jatu, S Prem Singh, Moti Kaul, T N Razdhan, Rakesh Koul, K K Khosa and others.

Sources said that Union Home Ministry has sent individual letters to all these leaders asking them to ensure their participation in the meeting. Sources said under Rs 1800 crore one time settlement package for PoK and West Pak refugees submitted by Mr Bhalla, Rs 15 lakh have been proposed for each refugee family for their permanent rehabilitation provided the Union Government provides funds for the same. The meeting will also discuss the ATR on Rs 1600 crore rehabilitation package for Kashmiri migrants.

Besides the revised package of Rs 5000 crore submitted by State Government to Centre for rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants in Valley which is lying with Centre for its approval will also be taken up. The PM’s employment package, facilities being provided to Kashmiri migrants in camps at Jammu and transit camps in Kashmir Valley as well as the Shrines and Temples Bill will also be discussed, sources added.

The KP representatives will focus attention of the authorities towards the much talked about Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places Bill presently with Select Committee and host of other issues concerning the displaced people from Valley. While West Pak refugees will press for their permanent rehabilitation and grant of citizenship rights, the PoK refugees will ask for their fresh registration and final one time settlement by sanctioning a rehabilitation package for them. They will also press for reservation of eight seats out of 24 seats kept in State Assembly for Pakistan occupied Kashmir as one third of population had migrated from Pok to J&K in 1947 and subsequent wars after that.

Source:http://www.dailyexcelsior.com