520 Kashmiri migrants returned after Art 370 move, 2,000 to return this year: Govt in House

“Special jobs for the Kashmiri migrant youth under the PM package has been an important component for the rehabilitation of kashmiri migrants. A total of nearly 3800 migrant candidates have returned to Kashmir in the last few years to take up the PM package jobs. Post abrogation of Article 370, as many as 520 migrant candidates have returned to Kashmir for taking up the jobs that have been provided to them under the rehabilitation package. Another nearly 2,000 migrant candidates are also likely to return under the same policy in the year 2021 on successful completion of the selection process,” MoS Home G Kishan Reddy said in a written reply.

Reddy said that since 1990, 44,167 Kashmiri migrant families moved from the Valley due to security concerns. Out of these, the count of registered Hindu migrant families is 39,782. He added that the government has devised policies for return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants under the Prime Minister’s packages in 2008 and 2015.

For employment, Reddy said, out of a total of 6,000 posts announced under the packages, nearly 3,800 Kashmiri Migrants have been rehabilitated directly by way of providing government employment. These employees are working in various districts of Kashmir Valley, which include Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla, Shopian, Kulgam, Kupwara, Pulwama, Bandipora, Anantnag and Ganderbal. Remaining posts are at final stages of recruitment, the minister said.

In order to provide accommodation to the 6,000 Kashmiri migrants who are getting jobs in the Jammu and Kashmir administration in the Valley, 6,000 transit accommodation units are being constructed in various districts at an estimated cost of Rs 920 crore, Reddy said.

“So far, 1,025 dwelling units have already been constructed which include 721 dwelling units in the district of Budgam, Kulgam, Kupwara, Anantnag and Pulwama. Another 1,488 units are under construction and land has been identified for about 2444 units,” he added.

Reddy said in order to encourage rehabilitation of Kashmir migrants in the Valley, the government has announced incentives in order to help such families.

He said these include assistance of Rs 7.5 lakh for repairing fully or partially damaged house; Rs 2 lakh for dilapidated/unused houses; and Rs 7.5 lakh for purchase/construction of a house in group housing societies for those who sold their properties after 1989 and before the enactment of J&K Migrant Immovable Property Preservation, Protection and Restraint of Distress Sale 1997.

Apart from this, cash relief is being provided to Kashmiri migrants, he said.