Jammu, Apr 21 (PTI) Accusing the Lieutenant Governor administration of sabotaging the resettlement plan for people displaced from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), a refugee leader threatened self-immolation if they were denied the ‘Pahari’ status that will help them get reservation in jobs and admission to educational institutes.
He also hit out at the government alleging “total failure” to implement the Rs 2,000 crore financial package sanctioned to the community by the Omar Abdullah government previously, and said after six years, only half of the PoJK displaced families had received partial relief.
“If these issues are not resolved by the end of April, I will set myself on fire any day in May to register protest against the ongoing injustice with my community,” Rajiv Chuni told reporters here.
He said the then Jammu and Kashmir cabinet headed by chief minister Omar Abdullah had proposed for them a financial package and sent it across to the Centre seeking approval.
The package promised Rs 25 lakh per family, reservation for students from the community in professional and technical colleges of the country, and 8,500 government jobs for educated unemployed youths.
“The Modi government, instead of implementing this package, sent it to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for a review.
“The Parliamentary Standing Committee, in its 183rd report submitted to Parliament, recommended Rs 30 lakh per family instead of the proposed Rs 25 lakh. It also endorsed other components of the package recommended by the (then) Jammu and Kashmir state cabinet,” he said.
Further, on November 7, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a package of Rs 80,000 crore for the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state and this included the Rs 2,000 crore proposed for the displaced community.
“When the package crore was released in November 2016, it was clearly mentioned that this amount should be provided to the beneficiaries within three months, but it has been nearly six years now and only half of the PoJK displaced families have got this relief,” Chuni said.
He alleged that even those that received the compensation were paid only Rs 5.5 lakh of the assured Rs 30 lakh and that the incumbent government ignored all other recommendations promised in the package.
Commenting on a recent legislation of the Jammu and Kashmir government for identifying ‘Pahari Speaking People’ in the union territory, he said, “We qualify all the prerequisite conditions, including clan, tribe and mother tongue. But the government is not issuing us a certificate.” He also demanded a minimum of eight Assembly seats to be reserved for the displaced community. PTI AB AB CJ CJ
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