Panel reconstituted for registration of Kashmiri migrants

Srinagar, June 1

As the government has reconstituted a screening committee for the registration of Kashmiri migrants, the BJP on Saturday stated that the government should strike down the category of ‘political migrants’ from the migrants’ list.

“An artificial category of migrants created by the then government of Jammu and Kashmir in 2000 was named ‘political migrants’. They were accorded registration and granted cash assistance on par with migrants, who had to leave Kashmir during 1989-90 for being targeted by terrorists,” the BJP spokesman Girdhari Lal Raina said.

Raina said “Political migrants is a category of relief holders who reportedly continue to take away benefits meant for genuine sufferers of terrorism.”

“It has been noticed that most of them are believed to have returned to their homes and hearths since then, yet continue to avail assistance,” Raina said.

Political migrants were mostly regional leaders from NC, Congress, CPI (M) and other parties, who had to leave Valley due to threats from militants after many of them were killed.

The government has reconstituted the screening panel to replace all previous orders. The panel will be chaired by the Administrative Secretary of the Home Department, with members including the Additional Director General of Police, CID, J&K; the Administrative Secretary of the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction; and the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu.

The panel would register bona fide migrants, who fled due to threats, following the government’s formalities for registration. It would review each application individually, considering threat assessments and verification reports from the CID and the DM.