Jammu and Kashmir to evict illegal migrants from houses meant for Kashmiri Pandits: Report

In a move to bring back the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, the Jammu and Kashmir government has sent a show-cause notice to over 100 illegal occupants of apartments in Kashmiri migrant neighbourhoods in Jammu, Hindustan Times reported.

An officer told HT that the exercise was underway to evict the illegal migrants and accommodate genuine Kashmiri Pandit migrants in the government-built flats.

After sending the show-cause notice, the officials found out that 93 flats have been occupied illegally.

“During an extensive exercise undertaken by the officers of relief organization, it emerged that 93 flats in Kashmiri migrants’ colonies and camps at Muthi, Nagrota, Purkhoo and mini township Jagti have been found to be illegally occupied by the people who have not been allotted these flats,” HT quoted the Migrants' Relief Commissioner TK Bhat.

The occupants of government-built flats have been sent notices with a deadline to respond till March 10.

“Only genuine Kashmiri Pandit families displaced due to terrorism from Kashmir should get these flats. There are many Pandit families who are dependent on cash relief for their sustenance and live in rented accommodation,” Shadi Lal Pandita, president of the Jagti Tenement Committee in Nagrota told HT.

The Kashmiri Pandits were displaced during the separatist violence in the valley.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that that the identity of Kashmir was buried with the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits in 1990.