Jammu and Kashmir government today assured that all genuine concerns of the Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) displaced persons, including the prohibition on the transfer of land under section 254-C of 1965 would be looked into and necessary action would be taken thereof.

The assurance came from the Chief Secretary, J&K; Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta after a high-level delegation of the ‘S.O.S. International’- an organization for PoK Displaced Persons--under the chairmanship of Rajiv Chuni accompanied by V K, Datta, Bhai Ram Singh, Ved Raj Bali and S D Gupta called on him and submitted a memorandum. The delegation raised the various issues confronting the PoJK refugees on a day-to-day basis and sought his personal intervention for immediate redressal of their genuine grievances.  

During the meeting, Mr Chuni apprised the Chief Secretary that the PoJK refugees became owner in possession of land falls under section 254-C of 1965 all over the J&K by way of inheritance on the basis of Law of Succession Act but not on the basis of direct Allottee of Government.

“The transfer of said land falls under section 254-C of 1965 (C. 7056423) has been stopped in compliance to the government order (No. Rev-Regt/69/2022 dated 06/09/23) with description of matter that the Transfer of Land under Government Order No. 254-C of 1965 is under clarification. This transfer of land under section 254-C of 1965 should be allowed to PoJK DPs immediately without any delay,” Mr Chuni said.

The SOS International chairman said some displaced persons were allotted lands under 254-C, Section-3A but unfortunately there was no record of theirs available with the Provincial Rehabilitation Officer (PRO) Jammu. “These DPs should be allowed to file their claims on the basis of their allotments because such allotments were allowed to PoJK DPs only,” he said, adding “Those DPs should also be allowed to file their claims of cash assistance who are having old records of their respective camps of PoJK DPs but no record of registration is available with PRO Jammu”.

The delegation said that the PoJK displaced persons were facing problems in filling their cases due to the unnecessary conditions imposed for getting cash assistance under ‘PM Central Assistant Scheme for PoJK DPs’.

“Consequently, the scheme is not implemented fully on ground despite the lapse of more than six years. The government needs to implement the whole scheme in a time-bound manner. It is therefore imperative to issue necessary instructions to all the concerned government officials to remove the unnecessary hurdles at the earliest for smooth implementation of “PM Central Assistant Scheme for PoJK displaced persons,” Mr Chuni elaborated.

He also made certain suggestions for effective implementation of the scheme, saying “the present post of the PRO, Jammu should be made permanent in place of ex-officio by upgrading it to the Rehabilitation Commissioner, J&K. It becomes mandatory to do this because the POJK displaced persons live across the country. Apart from this, good number of employees should also be appointed in this office, who can meet the official needs of the PoJK displaced people every day”.

 “The PM Central Assistant Scheme for PoJK DPs’ announced by the Prime Minister of India remained unimplemented for a year but it has now been revived again by the Government of India upto March 31, 2024 after the UT administration headed by Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta took up the matter. Despite being the revival of the scheme for few more months, no coordination is seen on the ground among the officers concerned to expedite the process to give justice to the leftover families of PoJK DPs,” Mr Chuni apprised

He also said the displaced persons registered outside J&K should be allowed to file their claims for financial assistance on the basis of record of PoJK without asking them to produce State Subject Certificate (PRC) which was scrapped on August 5, 2019 due to abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.

“These DPs should simply be asked to produce their record of DPs from PoJK, JKUT Domicile and Legal Heir Certificate,” he suggested, adding that those displaced persons having original record with them but no record found in PRO Office, Jammu should be allowed to file their claims of cash assistance on the basis of that original record. “Those DPs allotted lands at different places in J&K under Section 3 and even mutation was allowed in their favour being a displaced person from PoJK should be allowed to file their cash assistance claims on the basis of that record”, he said.

Mr Chuni further suggested that the DPs who were issued Form "A" (Alf Form) but their Form "A" was not authenticated by the authorities at that time due to reasons only known to the authorities concerned and their Form "A" record is available with PRO Jammu should be allowed to file their claims of cash assistance on the basis of Form "A" available with PRO Jammu.

“Some DPs reached here in J&K or outside J&K without their children who were killed during Pakistan's raid in their ancestral homes and adopted some other children without proper legal formalities but in many cases lands / plots / quarters allotted were mutated in favour of their adopted son or daughter should be allowed to file their claims of cash assistance on the basis of mutation or all other means of registered or unregistered adoption. Those DPs should also be allowed to file their claims of cash assistance who are having old records of their respective camps of PoJK DPs but no record of registration is available with PRO Jammu,” he said.

The senior refugee leader pointed out that the displaced persons from extreme border between PoJK and J&K were allotted same Plots and Quarters in DPs colonies and their allotment record is available with PRO Jammu. “They were displaced from border instead of PoJK are technically called Border Displaced should be allowed to file their claims of cash assistance because they faced the same blunt and miseries which the PoJK faced. That's why these people were provided Rs. 3500 ex Gratia and same plots/quarters allotted to PoJK DPs,” he said.

Mr Chuni said that all the displaced persons from PoJK belongs to Pahari Tribe, Pahari Clan and their Mother Tongue is also Pahari, so the “Pahari Speaking People” Certificate should be issued to one and all PoJK DPs irrespective of their present residence as these people are bonafide residents of Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Poonch districts.

“The properties of the displaced families from Mirpur city have now been submerged in water forever due to the construction of Mangla Dam over Mirpur City. Even if tomorrow we free Mirpur from the illegitimate occupation of Pakistan, we will not be able to make the displaced people of Mirpur city back in their ancestral homes. The Mangla Dam project was funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for the construction of Dam over Mirpur city. Both these banks had given compensation to the affected families on the market price before the construction of the dam, after which the construction started,” he said.

Mr Chuni while quoting reliable sources said the compensation for the properties of Hindus and Sikhs displaced from Mirpur city submerged in Mangla dam was laying ready with the Custodian Department of PoJK Government, but there was no one to receive it. “We request the Government of India to receive the compensation amount along with interest upto date and hand it over to the legal heirs of the affected families,” he said, adding the rehabilitation package passed by the J&K Government Cabinet in October, 2014 and later on endorsed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs in its 183^rd Report submitted in both Houses of the Parliament on December 22, 2014 in respect of PoJK DPs should be implemented in whole without any further delay.