Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday inaugurated 1208 flats for Kashmiri Pandit employees recruited under the Prime Minister’s Package. LG Sinha inaugurated these flats in New Migrant Colony in Khwaja Bagh area of Baramulla, while he e-inaugurated the remaining houses in Bandipora, Ganderbal and Shopian. Sinha assured Kashmiri Pandits that apart from safe accommodation, steps are being taken to provide them other necessary facilities. He also appreciated the role of the majority community in maintaining Kashmiri brotherhood and expressed hope that this would help the government to bring back all the displaced Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley.
Speaking on the occasion, Sinha said, “We were successful in giving 576 flats to Kashmiri Pandit migrant workers. The LG said that the administration has taken several initiatives to expedite the process and 2,000 more flats will be completed by December 2023 “
Sharing my speech on the inauguration of newly constructed residential accommodation for PM package employees.https://t.co/vSi6dEd33m pic.twitter.com/Pxe1i5YPxB– Office of the LG Jammu and Kashmir (@OfficeOfLGJandK) April 26, 2023
“Kashmiri common people want us all to live together, they have a problem and as soon as we can solve that problem, I think their life will become easier,” he said. Sinha said the government is making efforts and I appeal to the youth of Kashmir to come forward and make the exercise easier.
The J&K administration is building safe houses in all ten districts of the Kashmir Valley for Kashmiri Pandit migrant workers working in the Valley. The decision to build more houses was taken in view of the spurt in targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir.
Inaugurated newly constructed 576 residential houses for PM package employees at Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Shopian. Today’s inauguration is a testimony to our commitment to create adequate facilities for a future of employee prosperity and dignity. pic.twitter.com/MtRFwgK88D– Office of the LG Jammu and Kashmir (@OfficeOfLGJandK) April 26, 2023
Kashmiri Pandits welcomed the initiative of Jammu and Kashmir administration
Pandits working in Kashmir hailed the initiative and said that this is the beginning of homecoming, but full rehabilitation will happen only when the situation is completely under control and all Kashmiri Pandits who fled during the 1990s return to their homeland .
Rakesh Pandita, an employee of Kashmir Pandit said, “It is a very good initiative as we were suffering since the time this employment package was announced but now with this inauguration life will become easier.”
Pandita said, “We hope that the allotment will be done on rent basis. Our lives will improve, all the employees will live happily. The government should take the initiative as everyone wants to come back, but there should be some mechanism.”
Another employee Neeru Bhatt said, “Kashmir is a place of uncertainty, but this is a good step, those who were living in rented accommodation were facing trouble, but the government is taking Kashmiri Pandits seriously.
This will give a sense of security. He added that it is not complete rehabilitation but an economic package rehabilitation will happen when all the displaced Pandits come back, but undoubtedly it is a start.
Sanjay Kaul, a Kashmir Pandit said, “This was our main demand and the inauguration is happening in four districts, it is a milestone.” We are grateful to the administration.”
The Kashmiri Pandit workers of the Prime Minister’s Package have been protesting for months demanding the transfer of Jammu and other protected areas outside Kashmir. The demand for resettlement was rejected by the LG administration, but the Pandits were promised safe and secure accommodation in the Kashmir Valley to give them a sense of security.
The main focus of the Lt Governor’s administration is to accommodate all the Kashmiri Pandit employees who came to the Kashmir Valley in 2010 under the Prime Minister’s package for employment. Under this package, about six thousand Kashmiri Pandits were appointed on the condition that they would have to work in Kashmir.
Most of them were without accommodation but now the LG administration wants to provide them safe accommodation as soon as possible so that they can freely perform their duties in Kashmir.