J&K gives nod to fresh rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants

The Jammu and Kashmir government today accorded approval to the fresh return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants to Kashmir Valley.

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday accorded approval to the fresh return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants to Kashmir Valley. The Cabinet which met here today, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, approved the proposed amendments to the Prime Minister`s Package for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Migrants to Kashmir Valley, an official spokesman said.

The proposed amendments will allow all migrant families, who would return to the Valley, to avail incentive for the construction and reconstruction of houses available under the package irrespective of the fact as to whether they have sold their properties before or after 1997. It has also authorised all Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir Valley to identify government land for setting up of clusters for such families through group-housing societies. In case of non-availability of government land, the Deputy Commissioners shall identify land for acquisition. The land to be acquired for construction of individual houses or for group-housing societies shall be identified at such places where there is no dislocation of the local population, he said. The revised cost estimates for acquisition of land and the construction of houses for migrants who have sold their properties after 1997 shall be worked out and included in the revised package to be sent to the Centre, he said. The state government will approach the Centre for incorporating the land acquisition component in the package and release of funds thereof.