Says Steps Will Be Taken To Regularize Colonies Of Displaced POJK Families
Jammu- Asserting that ‘Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is an integral part of India’, the Union Territory Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha said on Monday that the commitment made in Parliament regarding the other side of Kashmir will soon be fulfilled by the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi and Baba Amarnath.
Sinha made these comments after inaugurating LG’s Special Governance Camp for Displaced Persons of PcK at Sports Stadium, Bhour Camp here on Monday.
The drive aimed to take the welfare schemes to every house and ensure coverage of all beneficiaries under Centrally Sponsored Schemes & UT Schemes will be held at Udhampur, Rajouri, Jammu, Poonch and Kathua.
“Displaced families of PoJK have suffered a lot. Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood their sufferings and made arrangements for their financial support and settlement,” he said.
The camp, the LG said, has been organized on the directions of Prime Minister to saturate social security schemes, handholding of youth so they pursue their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs and ensuring that they can avail all facilities like other citizens.
“Steps will be taken to regularize the colonies of displaced families,” he said, adding that his administration will construct Smriti Bhawan in the memory of martyrs of PcK.
“Every effort will be made to preserve and promote the culture & traditions of displaced families. Land has already been identified and soon the construction work will start,” he added.
Paying tributes to the brave civilians killed in the October 1947 attack by Pakistan, Sinha said that their supreme sacrifices & understanding of the pain & sufferings of displaced families will always be remembered.
“It is our responsibility to secure their rights and build an enabling environment to fulfill the aspirations of the young generation from the community,” he said.
“PoJK is an integral part of India. Commitment made in Parliament regarding PoJK will soon be fulfilled by the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi and Baba Amarnath,” he added.
Maintaining that the development of new J&K is incomplete without complete integration of PoJK displaced persons in the mainstream development, the LG said that his administration is committed to ensuring the welfare and well-being of all so they can realize their true potential & contribute in nation building.
“We had started outreach programmes in 2021 for families living outside UT so that no one is left behind in any welfare scheme & focusing on skilling, self employment, social assistance, scholarships, sports, financial inclusion to aid economic development & financial stability” he said.
Sinha also lauded Prime Minister’s Mantra of “Vanchito ko Variyata” saying it was the guiding force of his developmental journey.
“In the last 30 months, we have ensured governance is inclusive, transparent, effective and accountable and provides equal benefit & equal opportunity to all, he added.
Referring to the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the LG said that the PM on August 5, 2019 ended the decades-long injustice, and provided equal opportunities to Valmiki, Gorkha, Safai Karamcharis communities and displaced persons.
“Families from West Pakistan were facing discrimination for many decades. Several communities were denied voting rights and other rights of citizens as enshrined in the constitution. Many generations were treated as second-class citizens. After August 2019, they were given equal rights and equal opportunities are being provided to all,” he added.
The LG also expressed gratitude to the Home Minister for making 7 sub-schemes an Umbrella Scheme under “Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates” and extending the welfare schemes till 2025-26.
“More than 21,000 domicile certificates were issued through camps in Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. We will continuously run such camps in Jammu Kashmir and other states/UTs so that all the affected families can get the benefits of government welfare schemes,” he said
“Under ‘One Time Central Assistance’ for the Displaced Persons of PoJK, 33,636 cases were approved and an amount of Rs 1452.33 crore was distributed. This scheme ended on 3st March last year. Somehow, more than 5000 families could not submit the claim within the time frame. The issue will be taken up with the Central Government” he added.
Assuring that all pending issues of POJK’s displaced families will be resolved, Sinha urged the talented youth to avail the benefits of youth-oriented programmes run by the government.
“Mission youth will extend benefits of all 17 schemes. The Sports Council will provide opportunities and all possible help to the promising players in various sports disciplines,” he added.
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