(a) the number of displaced Kashmiri Pandits and the details of the measures taken for their rehabilitation in the country including in their homeland along with expenditure incurred therein so far;
(b) the number of displaced Kashmiri Pandits rehabilitated so far;
(c) whether there is any proposal to create separate zones for Kashmiri Pandits in the State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K); and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HARIBHAI PARATHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)
(a)&(b): Due to onset of militancy in the State of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in early 1990s, most of the Kashmiri Pandit families along with some Sikh and Muslim families migrated from the Kashmir Valley to Jammu, Delhi and other parts of the country. Present number of registered Kashmiri migrant families is about 62,000. About 40,668 registered Kashmiri migrant families are residing in Jammu; about 19,338 registered Kashmiri migrant families are living in Delhi and about 2000 families are settled in other states.
The Government has been providing cash relief of 1650/- per head per month (maximum Rs. 6600/- per family per month) plus dry ration (9 Kg. Rice, 2 Kg. Atta per person per month and 1 Kg. Sugar per family per month) to eligible 18,250 families living in Jammu. Expenditure incurred by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir in this respect is being reimbursed by Ministry of Home Affairs under Security Related Expenditure (Return & Rehabilitation) – SRE (R&R).
The Government of NCT of Delhi is also providing cash relief of 1650/- per head per month (maximum Rs. 6600/- per family per month) to eligible 3,385 families. Other States are providing relief as per scales fixed by them from their own budget. The Government has also advised these states to provide relief at the rate being provided by the State Government of J&K.
The rate of case relief being paid to the Kashmiri migrants in Jammu and Delhi/NCR has been enhanced w.e.f. 1 May 2015 from the rate of 1650/- per head per month (maximum Rs. 6600/- per family per month) to the rate of 2500/- per head per month (maximum Rs. 10000/- per family per month).
A variety of measures have been taken over the years by the Government by way of financial assistance/relief and other initiatives to provide succour and support to the affected families, within a broad policy framework that those who have migrated will eventually return to the Valley. The review of such plans and packages is a continuous process and will continue to remain so in order to remove the bottlenecks and shortcomings, if any.
Under the Prime Minister’s Package 2004, 5242 two room tenements have been constructed in Jammu at four locations [Purkhoo, Muthi, Nagrota and Jagti] and have been allotted to the migrants, who were living in various one room tenements, government buildings, temples etc. in Jammu. Further, 200 flats have been constructed at Sheikhpora in Budgam district (Kashmir Valley) and have been allotted on a sharing basis to those migrants, who have joined the government service under the employment component of Prime Minister’s Package-2008. Out of these 200 flats, 31 flats have also been allotted to the local migrants (who migrated from their native places to other places within the Kashmir Valley).
The Government announced a Comprehensive Package amounting to Rs. 1618.40 Crore in the year 2008 for the return and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Migrants, which provides for many facilities for the migrants e.g. financial assistance for purchase/construction/ repair of houses, construction of transit accommodation, continuation of cash relief, scholarship to students, employment/self-employment, assistance to the agriculturists and the horticulturist and waiver of interest on unpaid loan etc. The Prime Minister’s Package – 2008 is being implemented by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir. So far state government jobs have been provided to 1553 migrant youths and one family has availed the benefit of Rs. 7.5 Lakh for construction of house. Also, 469 Transit accommodations have been constructed in the Kashmir Valley and these have been allotted to the newly appointed migrant employees under the Package.
The expenditure incurred by the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir in respect of relief and rehabilitation of the Kashmiri migrants is reimbursed by the Government of India under Security Related Expenditure (Relief & Rehabilitation) – SRE (R&R). An assistance of approx. Rs. 1599.18 Crore has been provided to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir by the Central Government in this respect under SRE (R&R) since 1989-90.
(c)&(d): No proposal to create separate zones exclusively for the Kashmiri Pandits in the State of Jammu and Kashmir is under consideration.