Lok Sabha Question No. 1485 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-11
Subject: Displaced People from PoJK
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1485

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020/MAGHA 22, 1941 (SAKA)

DISPLACED PEOPLE FROM POJK

1485. COL. RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of people displaced from Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in 1947 and from Chhamb in 1965 and 1971;
- (b) whether any rehabilitation package has been provided to the above persons;
- (c)  whether  the  complete  relief  package  has  been  disbursed  and  all  letters  of disbursement been settled;
- (d) whether any relief has been given to displaced people from PoJK who have not settled in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the number of Pakistani Hindu and Sikh Refugees who have been displaced from PoJK and the relief/rehabilitation package provided for them;
- (f)  whether  any  relief/rehabilitation  package  has  been  provided  to  Pakistani Hindu Sikh Refugees who have been displaced from PoJK and have not settled in J&K,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  details  of  disbursement  of  relief package; and
- (g) whether all letters of disbursement have been settled and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

- (a) to  (g):  As  per  the  Registration  records  maintained  with  the  Provincial Rehabilitation  Officer  (PRO),  Jammu  and  Kashmir  (J&K),  a  total  of  31,619 displaced  families  from  Pakistan  Occupied  Jammu  and  Kashmir  (POJK)  got registered    after   Indo-Pak  war  of  1947.   Out  of  these,  26,319   families  got

## LS.US.Q.NO.1485 FOR 11.02.2020

registered  and  settled  in  the  erstwhile  State  of  Jammu  &  Kashmir  and  5,300 families initially registered with PRO, J&K subsequently moved to other parts of the country.  Further, during the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, 10,065 families registered as displaced families from Chhamb Niabat area.

Both  the  Government  of  India  and  the  Government  of  Jammu  &  Kashmir have been providing several relief/rehabilitation packages from time to time to the displaced families of POJK & Chhamb.

For the displaced families of 1947 which stayed in J&K, the Government of Jammu  &  Kashmir  had  allotted  agricultural  land  ranging  from  4-8  acres  per family.  Those  who settled in urban areas were provided plots/quarters besides cash ex-gratia of Rs. 3500/- per family.  For those families which did not get land allotted  as  per  prescribed  scales,  cash  compensation  was  sanctioned  by Government  of  India  in  lieu  of  land  deficiency.  Others  were  allotted  land /plot/quarter  as  per  fixed  scale  for  their  rehabilitation.  The  displaced  families which did not settle in Jammu & Kashmir were paid an ex-gratia of Rs. 3500/- per family at the time of their registration.

For the displaced families of 1965 and 1971, agricultural land at the rate of 4 acres (irrigated) or 6 acres (un-irrigated) was allotted. A cash compensation of Rs. 3,000/- per family for displaced families of 1965 and Rs. 7,500/- per family for 1971 was also paid. The families of 1965 which did not settle in camps set up by the Government, were also paid Rs.

## LS.US.Q.NO.1485 FOR 11.02.2020

25,000/- per family as ex-gratia later on. The entire process of rehabilitation of displaced  families  was  overseen  by  Chhamb  Displaced  Persons  Rehabilitation Authority (CDPRA).

In order to mitigate the hardships of the displaced families, the Government  of  India  under  the  Prime  Minister's  Development  Package-2015, approved  a  rehabilitation  package  with  an  outlay  of  Rs.  2000  crores  on  22 nd December, 2016.  Under the package, financial assistance of Rs. 5.5 lakhs per family (Central share is Rs.5,49,692/-and the State share is  Rs. 308/-) is provided to the 36,384 displaced families of POJK and Chhamb, which settled in Jammu & Kashmir.

As per the scheme, eligible beneficiaries are identified by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir and their proposals duly authenticated are forwarded to the Government of India for release of financial assistance. Thereafter, the Central share as well as the State share of financial assistance is disbursed every month on  regular  basis  to  the  beneficiaries  directly  in  their  Aadhaar-linked  Bank Accounts  through  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT)  mode.    Since  inception  of  the scheme,  a  total  amount  of  Rs.  1277.31  crores  has  been  disbursed  to  29,490 beneficiaries up to 31 st  January, 2020.

In  September,  2019,  the  Government  of  India  has  further  approved  the inclusion of those displaced  families of PoJK, out of 5,300  families, who initially

## LS.US.Q.NO.1485 FOR 11.02.2020

moved out of Jammu and Kashmir, but later on returned and settled in Jammu and Kashmir.  Such families will also be eligible for the financial assistance of Rs. 5.5 lakh per family.

The  rehabilitation  packages  apply  to  all  registered  families  which  got displaced from POJK & Chhamb, irrespective of their religion. Disbursements are made to all  eligible  beneficiaries  authenticated  by  Government  of  Jammu  and Kashmir, until the close the scheme, which is up to 31 st  March, 2021.

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