PoK refugees welcome Rs 2,000-crore package

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 2

SOS International, an organisation for refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), has welcomed the decision of the Union Cabinet for sanctioning Rs 2,000-crore package for refugees.

Addressing a press conference, SOS International chairman Rajiv Chuni said refugees still have to fight a long battle to get their rights denied to them by the successive governments.

“It’s just the beginning not conclusion. The Central governments have remained apathetic towards the plight of refugees as way back in October 2014, the state cabinet had passed a package for PoK refugees, but was not implemented,” Chuni said.

He added that it was announced that each family would get Rs 25 lakh, reservation to the wards of PoK refugees in professional and technical colleges across the country, government jobs for unemployed youths, but the state had sent it to the Centre for approval and it got delayed.

However, Chuni said the exclusion of 5,300 PoK refugee families was unfortunate on the part of the government because after the forceful migration they were given shelter outside J&K by the state and the Central government by counting several constraints.