New Delhi: 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 GoI scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. Through the exercise, the GoI said it will grant the ownership rights to the WPRs over lands measuring 46,666 Kanals that were allotted to them before the abrogation of Article 370, Indo-Asian News Service reported.
The report quoting officials said that 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.
Quoting sources, the report said the officials in the Ministry of Home have discussed the matter with the revenue department officials of JK who have initiated the exercise.
When JK 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 JK. However, as BJP headed by Modi came to power, it provided the compensation of Rs 5.5 lakh per family in West Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir (PAJK) refugees.
The news agency report added that West Pakistan Refugees, PAJK refugees, Gorkhas and Valmikis were declared as domiciles of JK after Article 370 was scrapped by BJP led GoI.
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.
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