Questions raised over need for PoJK Bhawan

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, March 15

Displaced families from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) have expressed their discontentment against laying of foundation stone for a PoJK Bhawan on the outskirts of Jammu by L-G Manoj Sinha on March 12.

The step by the UT administration has raked a controversy as a prominent section of displaced persons from PoJK have raised questions on the necessity to build the Bhawan. They claim that no request or proposal was submitted with the administration for such a structure. Manoj Sinha laid the foundation stone of the PoJK Bhawan at Suketar in Jammu.

No such request was made with ut admn

• The step by the UT administration has triggered a controversy as a prominent section of displaced persons from PoJK have questioned the necessity to build the bhawan. They claim that no request or proposal was submitted with the administration for such a structure
• Meanwhile, the Congress said, “PoJK refugees feel betrayed. The BJP had made several commitments to the refugees during 2014 elections, but nothing was fulfilled after 10 years except sanction of a meagre amount of Rs 5.5 lakh.”

Prominent organisations of the PoJK displaced persons criticised the UT administration and the L-G in a statement “for trivialising the colossal suffering and pain endured by the displaced persons”. They alleged that the administration has brazenly ignored the genuine issues confronting about 17 lakh displaced persons.

The joint statement was issued by Jagjit Singh Sudan, president MJR-47, Gurdev Singh, president Sharnarthi Action Committee, Rajiv Chuni, Chairman SOS International, Yudhvir Singh, president ‘PoJK DPs’ Front 1947, 65, 71 (Camp & Non-camp) and SR Nagyal, president Chhamb Displaced Persons Association-1971.

The leaders of these organisations, in a joint statement issued here, voiced their discontent “over the wasteful expenditure being planned for the construction of a Bhawan for PoJK displaced persons in the Suketar area, situated on the outskirts of Jammu city”.

Gurdev Singh said, “A drama was enacted to lay the foundation stone of a Bhawan for PoJK. The administration has been raking up irrelevant issues while overlooking the genuine concerns of the displaced persons”.

Jagjit Singh Sudan said the displaced persons are living in miserable conditions in different parts of the country. The bhawan, located far away from the refugees’ habitation, was neither requested nor deemed essential by the refugees themselves.

The Congress said the BJP had promised Rs 30 lakh to each family of displaced person, reservations to refugee youth in central forces and professional and technical course all over India besides paying cash or making up deficiency of land to them.

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