Over 5,502 Kashmiri Pandits provided govt jobs post abrogation of Article 370: Centre
Jul 20, 2022
New Delhi [India], July 20 : Over 5,502 Kashmiri Pandits have been provided government jobs in different departments of the government of Jammu and Kashmir post the scrapping of Article 370 in the valley, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha.
"Under the Prime Minister's Development Package (PMDP), 5,502 Kashmiri Pandits have been provided government jobs in different departments of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir," said the Union Minister.
The MoS Home also said that no Kashmiri Pandit has reportedly migrated from the valley from August 5, 2019, till July 9, 2022, and 128 security force personnel and 118 civilians have been killed by terrorists during the period.
Replying to a question of Congress MP Digvijay Singh, MoS Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply to Rajya Sabha said, "From August 5, 2019, till July 9, 2022, 128 security force personnel and 118 civilians have been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of the 118 civilians killed, five were Kashmiri Pandits, and 16 belonged to other Hindu/Sikh communities. No pilgrim has been killed."
There has been a substantial decline in terrorist attacks from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
While giving a written reply to a query to the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, the MoS said the government has a "policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir."
The minister said the incidents of terrorist attacks also decreased significantly since 2018 in Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 229 terrorist attacks were reported in 2021; 244 in 2020; 255 in 2019; and 417 in 2018.
In these attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, the minister said, a total of 42 security force personnel were killed in 2021 following 62 killings in 2020, 80 in 2019 and 91 in 2018. Similarly, a total of 41 civilians were killed in 2021 following 37 in 2020 and 39 each in 2019 as well as 2018.
Also replying to Kharge's question "Whether the government was aware of the rising attacks on Kashmiri Pandits during last few months" the Mos said, during the last few months two incidents of attacks on Kashmiri Pandits have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir in which one person was killed and another person injured.
"The government has taken several measures to ensure the safety of minorities in the valley. These include a robust security and intelligence grid, day and night area domination, patrolling and proactive operations against terrorists, round-the-clock checking at Nakas, deployment of Road Opening Parties at strategic points to thwart any terrorist attack," Rai said.
He also shared data showing the year-wise attacks on civilians during the last five years.
As per the data, a total of seven civilians had been attacked in Jammu and Kashmir up to June 30 this year.
"The number of civilians attacked in 2021 was 12. The number stands at 28 both in 2020 and 2019. However, 33 civilians were attacked in 2018," as per the data.
