Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, today said that, out of 6000 posts under PM Special Package for Kashmiri Migrants/Non Migrant Kashmiri Pandits, 5868 appointment orders have been issued to the beneficiaries, so far.

The Deputy Chief Minister was replying to a question raised by M Y Tarigami in the Legislative Assembly.

He said that 5724 posts had been issued up to 2023-24 fiscal while appointment orders in respect of 144 posts have been issued during the current financial year till date, bringing the total figure to 5868 out of 6000 posts under the package. He said that the remaining 132 posts are at various stages including 42 posts pending due to Court cases.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the Prime Minister announced Return a Package for Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants to Kashmir Valley amounting Rs.1618.40 crore in the year 2009. He said that housing, transit accommodation, continuation of cash relief to migrants, student scholarships, employment, assistance to Horticulturalists and Agriculturalists and waiver of interest on loans are among the components being covered under the package.

He said that construction of 6000 transit accommodations was sanctioned in different districts of Kashmir Valley during December 2015 and work on 5160 flats have been taken up for construction. Of this, 3120 flats have been completed up to ending January, 2025 while the remaining 2040 flats are still under construction. Moreover, the remaining 840 flats are likely to be taken-up shortly.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the matter of enhancement in relief benefits has been taken up with the Government of India for consideration of enhancement/grant of full relief benefits in favour of new born babies of Kashmiri Migrants from Rs. 400 per month to Rs. 3250 per month without disturbing the ceiling of Rs. 13000 per family per month.

He maintained that the ex-gratia compensation for the damaged properties due to bomb blast/fire incidents of migrants is being disbursed as per assessment made by the R&B department and the concerned Tehsildars. However, there is no such order regarding settlement of unpaid balance of ex-gratia in addition to Rs. 1.00 lakh already paid at the time of sanction of such compensation.

With regard to reallocation of posts, the Deputy Chief Minister said that, pursuant to Cabinet Decision 3000, supernumerary posts were created in second tranche in addition to 3000 posts created in the year 2009 (First Tranche) and referred to recruitment agencies. He said that the progress with respect to filling up of these posts was reviewed in the year 2020 and it was found that 1997 posts were still unfilled and were withdrawn from different departments. Consequent upon withdrawal, the same number of posts were re-allocated to four departments viz. Finance, Agriculture Production, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Revenue, he added.

He added that the posts of Junior Assistants, Legal Stenographers, Junior Engineers and Draftsman (Civil/ Mechanical) were among the 1997 withdrawn posts.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the government has not constituted any Shrines and Temples Management Committee. However, constant security vigil is being kept on the Shrines and Temples to ensure protection of these places. Any violation to religious properties is taken cognizance of by the competent authority with timely action for eviction, custody and restoration of such properties and also action under law against the violators.

Dr Narinder Singh Raina, Bashir Ahmad Veeri, Altaf Ahmad Wani, Showkat Ahmad Ganie, Hasnain Masoodi, Mir Saifullah, Kuldeep Raj Dubey, Balwant Singh Mankotia, R S Pathania raised the supplementary.