SRINAGAR — The Government of India (GoI) is set to grant land ownership rights to West Pakistan refugees (WPR) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The exercise to provide rights was started after Government of India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. Through the exercise, ownership rights will be granted to the WPRs over lands measuring 46,666 Kanals that were allotted to them before the abrogation of Article 370, IANS reported
Officials said these lands are in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts and were allotted to the WPRs in 1954 after they migrated to the Indian side of the International Border.
“The Union Home Ministry officials have discussed the matter with the revenue department officials of J&K who have initiated the exercise,” official sources said.
When J&K had special status under Article 370 and 34A, the West Pakistan refugees could neither own land nor apply for government jobs as they were not state subjects of J&K. After BJP came into power, it provided the compensation of Rs 5.5 lakh per family in West Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) refugees.
West Pakistan Refugees, POJK refugees, Gorkhas and Valmikis were declared as domiciles of J&K after Article 370 was scrapped by BJP-led Government of India.
The lands on which the ownership rights will be granted to these refugees exist in Akhnoor, R.S. Pura, Bishnah in Jammu district, in parts of Samba district and Hiranagar district. — (IANS)