West Pakistani refugees celebrate 'right to property' after the abrogation of 370.
Jul 31, 2024
Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 31 : The Administrative Council has approved the conferment of proprietary rights upon West Pakistan displaced persons and displaced persons of 1965.
The Administrative Council, which had met in Srinagar on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in a significant decision, ended discrimination against the West Pakistan displaced persons by granting proprietary rights on state land in favour of such families.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary, Mandeep K Bhandari, and Principal Secretary to the LG were present in the meeting.
This will significantly empower thousands of families across the Jammu region. It is pertinent to mention that, post-reorganisation of the year 2019, domicile rights have been conferred by the Cecntre to the West Pakistan displaced persons.
The decision fulfils the demands of all connected families, which have been requesting ownership rights for so many decades. The vesting of proprietary rights to West Pakistan displaced persons on state land would bring them on par with the displaced persons of POJK, and their long pending demand would also be fulfilled.
The Administrative Council also approved the conferment of proprietary rights upon displaced persons in 1965 with respect to state land. The government has always remained committed to providing benefits to the displaced persons of 1965, as has been granted to displaced persons in 1947 and 1971.
West Pakistani refugees had been given the right to vote and the right to government jobs, but the right to property was pending, which has now been fulfilled.
The refugees distributed sweets and raised the slogan 'Modi Sarkar Zindabad' on the occasion.
Expressing his joy, Labha Ram Gandhi, the West Pakistani refugee leader, told ANI, "We have been feeling happiness since yesterday. It is such a big decision. It should have been made a year ago. LG had made an announcement here in Chakroi, Jammu, on May 1... It is a decisive decision."
He added, "We are getting the proprietary rights in Jammu and Kashmir, where we are living. Our lands are there. What could there be a bigger decision than this?"
Terming it as a "big achievement," Sukhdev Singh, another refugee, told ANI, "We have been living in Jammu and Kashmir for the last 75 years. But until now, we did not have proprietary rights. We got the voting rights after the Centre abrogated Article 370 on August 5, 2019."
"We express our gratitude to the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor," he added.
