State delaying Rs 2,000-cr refugee package

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 29

Even as the Centre has sanctioned much-awaited Rs 2,000 crore relief and rehabilitation package for Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Chhamb refugees, the state government is adopting delay tactics in the disbursement of the relief to the deserving families, reasons best known to those who are at the helm of the affairs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to J&K on November 7, 2015, had announced a whopping package of Rs 80,000 crore for the state. Out of this, Rs 2,000 was announced as relief and rehabilitation package for PoJK and Chhamb refugees.

After the Prime Minister’s announcement, the then Chief Minister of the state, late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, had announced on November 13, 2015, that Rs 2,000 crore had been sanctioned as a “one-time monetary compensation to the refugee families of PoJK and Chamb”. But, this package is yet to be disbursed on the ground.

According to official data available, 31,619 families from PoJK were registered with the Rehabilitation Organisation, out of which 26,319 families opted to settle down in the state itself and 5,300 families settled outside the state of J&K (Delhi -1,901 families, Maharashtra - 123 families, Rajasthan - 495 families and other states - 2,78 families). Highly placed sources said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 2,000 crore to the state for disbursement among PoJK and Chhamb refugees two weeks back, but the state administration had not shown enthusiasm in distributing the same among deserving families. “A Rs 2,000-crore fund was transferred to the coffers of the Relief and Rehabilitation Department two weeks back, but those at the helm of the affairs are creating hurdles in disbursing the same,” a source said, adding that “realising that disbursement of this much-awaited package will give political benefits to the BJP, some elements in the administration are working as a stumbling block”.

“As these refugees are living in the Jammu region only, some elements in the administration are not interested in utilising the package for the deserving lot of the society,” the source said.

The sources said the package was announced way back on November 7, 2015, but the state government had not shown enthusiasm to get the amount transferred to the department concerned.

“It was all due to intervention of some higher-ups that the Centre has sanctioned the amount,” a source said, adding that “despite getting the package, the administration has not shown any sign to disburse the same early”.