With more than 4,000 displaced families of Kashmiri Pandits wishing to return to their homes, Jammu and Kashmir government today began the process to facilitate the return of the community to the Valley.
“The families (of displaced Kashmiri Pandits) are advised to furnish their plan of return to the valley so that necessary arrangements can be made for their return,” Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants), Jammu, said in a notification issued here.
Incentives under the Prime Minister’s package for Kashmiri migrants would be made available to them, the notice said.
As many as 4,440 applications have been received from Kashmiri migrant families, who wish to return to the valley under the policy of Return and Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants to Kashmir Valley, officials of the Relief and Rehabilitation Department said.
Of the 4,440 applications received, 1,682 families are still in possession of immovable assets and these applications have been referred for verification.
The families who had sold their immovable properties and have applied to return to the valley are advised to furnish details about the arrangements made by them for permanent settlement in the valley so that assistance available under the package can be provided to them, the Relief Commissioner said.
The largest number of applications – 1,237 – have been received from Srinagar district followed by 1,140 applications from Anantnag district, 462 from Baramulla, 431 from Budgam, 359 from Pulawama, 283 from Kulgam, 240 from Kupawara, 150 from Shopian and 98 from Ganderbal.
However, no application for the return of Kashmiri migrants have been received from Bandipore district.
As many as 3,000 migrant youth would be given jobs under the special employment package in this direction and interviews have been conducted for finalisation of the list.
Central Government has sanctioned a package of Rs 1,618 crore for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants to the Valley.
As many as 38,119 families of Kashmiris are registered as migrants with the Relief Organisation in Jammu. Of these, 34,202 families are Hindus, 2,168 Muslims and 1,749 Sikhs.
According to statistics available, about 19,338 Kashmiri migrants live in Delhi.
11 Kashmiri migrant families live in Himachal Pradesh, 924 in Haryana, 114 in Chandigarh, 319 in Punjab, 57 in Uttaranchal, 222 in UP, 43 in MP, one in Tamil Nadu, 38 in Karnataka, 208 in Maharashtra and 48 Rajasthan.
