Over 98,000 Kashmiri migrants issued domicile certificates till end of June

As many as 98,600 Kashmiri migrants have been issued domicile certificates till the end of June, officials said here on Friday.

Giving the breakup, officials said 90,430 domicile certificates were issued to displaced Kashmiri Pandits, while 2,340 families of displaced Kashmiri Pandits were registered as fresh migrants. Of these, 8,170 individuals received the domicile certificate.

Similarly, 2,988 families of displaced Persons of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) living outside Jammu and Kashmir have also been registered and domicile certificate issued to them, they said.

Relief and Rehabilitation commissioner T K Bhat, who supervised and monitored the operation of issuance of domicile certificates and fresh registration of displaced Kashmiri Pandits and those from PoJK, said the process had begun in July last year.

Any Kashmiri Pandit and displaced person, who may have left Kashmir in 1944 before Independence and has proof of owning or possessing immovable property in any part of Jammu and Kashmir on or after 1944, is entitled to domicile of the Union Territory.

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On May 16 last year, the Jammu and Kashmir administration took a historic decision by reopening "fresh registration" for Kashmiri migrants and displaced people that paved the way for inclusion of bonafide people who migrated from the UT.

"Bonafide migrants and bonafide displaced persons who are not yet registered with the relief and rehabilitation commissioner (migrant), Jammu and Kashmir, can apply before the competent authority for registration for purpose of issuance of a domicile certificate only," an order issued by the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, had said on May 16 last year.

The relief and rehabilitation commissioner (migrant) of Jammu and Kashmir shall be the competent authority for the purpose of registration of displaced persons, besides Kashmiri migrants to issue domicile certificate, the order said.

For this purpose, migrants and displaced people can apply online with one of the proofs, including a copy of permanent resident certificate, name in electoral roll of 1951 and 1988, proof of working in an autonomous body or entity before 1.11.1989, proof of owning immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir on or after 1944, among others.