Kashmir Pandits demand township with minority status in Valley

A group of Kashmiri Pandits today demanded that a 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 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," S L Pandita President of Jagti Tenement Committee, a group representing Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) told reporters here.

"Apart from reservation in Parliament seats, 10 Assembly seats of 10 districts of Kashmir be kept reserved for KPs for granting due political reservation to the community," Pandita said.
Pandita along with a deputation of the committee 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.

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.

Each KP migrant family has 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 affected family. PTI