Kashmiri Pandits demand composite township with minority status in Valley

Jammu, May 5: Kashmiri Pandits on Tuesday demanded that a composite township be raised for their rehabilitation in Kashmir Valley along with grant of minority status and reservations in jobs and ten Assembly seats for the community.

"A composite township be raised for rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandit community in the Valley with grant of minority status to this community with provisions of reservations in various sectors particularly in Assembly seats," President Jagti Tenement Committee, S L Pandita told reporters here.

"Apart from reservation in Parliament seats, 10 Assembly seats of 10 districts of Kashmir be kept reserved for Kashmiri Pandits for granting due political reservation to the community," Pandita said. "We demand increase in monthly cash assistance to KP families. The matter has recently been taken up with concerned higher authorities and they told us enhancement of cash assistance relief will be announced soon," he said.

Pandita along with a deputation of Jagti Tenement Committee and Soan Kashmir Front today called on Relief Commissioner, Relief Organisation (M) Jammu R K Pandita here.

"He has assured us enhancement of cash assistance relief in favour of Relief Holder Kashmiri Migrants," he said. Pandita said that soon after calling on the commissioner, members of Jagti Tenament Committee and Soan Kashmir Front J&K held a meeting at Jagti wherein all were apprised about the assurance given by him.

In case the state and Centre fail to fulfill their commitment, they will come on roads to protest, he said. Expressing concern over distressed sale of land and properties belonging to Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, which, he said, have been encroached during past 25 years of migration, he called for immediate cancellation of the sale by the government to ensure restoration of properties to their original owners.

"In this connection the Deputy Commissioners in Kashmir Province need to give directions to term such distressed sales as null and void besides ensuring eviction of unlawful encroachers of properties of migrant KPs as well temple and shrine properties," he said.

The Kashmiri Pandit migrants have suffered an annual loss of Rs 2 lakh on account of farming and use of properties in Kashmir during past 25 years of exile, he claimed, demanding one time compensation of Rs 50 lakh to each migrant family on account of their properties for the losses incurred by them.

PTI