J&K Government committed to address PoK refugee issue

The Jammu and Kashmir government today said that it was committed to address all the outstanding issues of the refugees from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

“The previous regimes is responsible for exploiting the issue of POK displaced persons in Jammu and Kashmir,” Minister for Social Welfare Bali Bhagat said today.

He said that the PDP-BJP Coalition government is committed to “address all their outstanding issues on priority”.

He was addressing a day long convention of PoK displaced persons front at Udheywala in Raipur-Domana constituency near here today.

The Minister said that all the successive governments in the State handled the issue of displaced persons with casual approach; consequently the issue is still hanging.

He said the present Government was serious to address their long pending issues, which were enshrined in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the Government.

Bhagat said the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, during his visit to Jammu before the Assembly elections in 2014, had assured the POK displaced persons that their issues would be addressed and they must wait for the same.

He said both the Centre as well as State Governments would handle the issue with human angle and address the same on priority.

He said the Government would re-examine the one-time package that was sent to the Centre by the previous Government and take a decision on it.

He asked the DPs to keep full faith on the coalition Government and they will get justice.

Regarding their other issues like updating records, registration of left out families, ownership rights, reservation of their wards for getting admission in government institutions, according backward status to them, the Minister said that Government will examine these issues afresh and take appropriate steps to address the same.