It took almost a decade to get the relief package for the refugees in Jammu and Kashmir through the State Cabinet. On Thursday the Cabinet approved Rs 9,096 crore package for the refugees displaced from PoK in 1947 and displaced persons of 1965 and 1971 war. The package envisages compensation as one time settlement in favour of 36,384 displaced persons. It also provides Rs 25 lakh per family against the losses suffered by them on account of immoveable and moveable properties. These refuges have been living in various parts of Jammu facing hardships and no identity for themselves. They have been demanding one-time settlement on the pattern announced by Kashmir migrants. The Cabinet has recommended this package to the Govt of India urging it to sanction it as early as possible in favour of the refugees in Jammu which could be a big relief for them. During the last Cabinet meeting, three Congress Ministers even went to the extent of staging walkout over non-cooperation from the National Conference in clearing the rehabilitation package and finally it was agreed that package would be cleared in next meeting. This time also the proposal found resistance among the ruling coalition with only Minister for PHE Sham Lal raising voice in favour of proposal to be taken up by the Cabinet while other Congress ministers maintained silence, thus bringing the regional bias in the public. The Cabinet also proposed recommendations to the Government of India for providing job reservation in paramilitary forces/army and other Central Government services and reservation in professional colleges outside the State for the children of PoK and Chhamb refugees and inclusion of left out families as part of incentives. The issue of cross-border firing affected people was to figure in the meeting but was not taken up. The representatives of both the coalition partners in the Coordination Committee had agreed to discuss the issue of providing plots to the people living along the border in the safer zones. Now what is to be seen will these refugees get voting rights for the Assembly elections?
