Author:
Publication: The Free Press Journal
Date: August 30, 2002
The Supreme Court on Thursday issued
notices to the Centre, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir Governments on a petition
by migrant Kashmiri pandits seeking liberal financial help and accommodation
in the capital where as many as 30,000 have come leaving their homes due
to militancy, reports PTI.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice
B N Kirpal, Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice Arijit Pasayat also issued
notices to Ministry of Urban Development and Delhi Development Authority,
(DDA) on a petition filed by J&K Migrants' Camp Welfare Association
and sought replies within six weeks.
The petitioner organisation through
counsel Indra Makwana contended that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's
Rs 6000 crore package for the State did not allocate a single penny to'
ameliorate miseries of the migrant pandits. The petitioners sought all
migrant pandit families be provided free accomodation, liberal financial
assistance to enable them to engage in trade and other occupations, revision
of the monthly financial assistance of Rs 1600 given to a family of four
and reservation in jobs.
It said of the 30,000 migrants registered
with the government authorities in Delhi, about 300 families got shelter
in 14 community centres leaving others to fend for themselves in utter
violation of their human rights.
The reign of terror unleashed by
the militants in the State for last 12 years has made it impossible for
the pandits to return to their homes, the petitioner said.
'The Centre and the State Government
have so far failed to restore effective semblance of law and order situation
in Kashmir which could encourage even the thought of return of these migrants
to their homeland," the organisation said.
'The migrants have been living in
a state of penury, dependent on the measely, Government dole of Rs 1600
per month given to a family of four, it said. 'Though free shelters have
been provided in 14 community centres wherein various families have been
lumped together in halls of the community centres separated by nominal
partitions these partitions do not permit any kind of privacy to different
fables,' the Welfare Association said.
It said the tehbazari permits were
allowed to about 1000 migrants have been rendered ineffective in due course
by the officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Kew Delhi
Municipal Council (NDMC).
