Jobs for all Kashmiri Pundits: Patil

New Delhi, Dec 14: BJP and other opposition members today staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha to protest against the inadequate steps taken by the government to deal with the situation arising from atrocities against Kashmiri Pundits in Jammu and Kashmir.

Raising the issue through a call attention, BJP Deputy Leader in the House Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra said the government had provided employment to only about 500 Kashmiri Pundits while 400,000 to 500,000 such people had migrated out of the state.

In his response, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the government would provide job to all Kashmiri Pundits who were in need, both within Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.

The Minister said temporary accommodation would be given to all such Pundits before facilitating them to move into their own houses which they had left at the time of migrating out of the state.

Such temporary accommodation was smaller at present and this ''mistake'' was being rectified, he said.

All places of worship, be it temple, church or mosque, were being provided adequate security, while their maintenance were left to the local people, Mr Patil said.

He denied that confiscated properties were not being returned to their owners.

The security situation in the state had improved on account of the sincere efforts of the security forces, government efforts and people's yearning for peace and normalcy.

''It is true that some people still continue to suffer. Attempts are made by all concerned to help the people to live a more secured and peaceful life,'' the Minister added.

UNI