Interaction Meet of non-camp Kashmiri Migrants held at Udheywala
The first interaction meet of Kashmiri Migrants living in non-camps was convened at Udheywala Jammu by vishal Jotshi coordinator Vitasta Helping Hand Trust which was attended by a large number of prominent persons of the displaced community putting up in noncamps in different parts of Jammu.
Dr. Arvind Karwani JKAS new Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner J&K attended the meeting as Chief Guest. Senior community social activists and leaders M.K. Yogi and Vinod Pandita were the guests of honor.
The meeting discussed various genuine problems faced by the community residing in forced exile for over three decades in the Jammu region and other parts of the country particularly addressing the many genuine issues which the community is confronting in their exodus and seeking their resolution forthwith.
Yogi in his address highlighted the plight of PM package employees and said that more than fifteen hundred PM package employees mainly women folk are putting up on a rent basis in the valley which has caused them big miseries that need immediate attention with the allotment of accommodation near their workplaces to deserving employees on priority basis. He also called for the enhancement of meager monthly cash assistance from Rs. 13000/ to 25000/, the creation of a new employment package for the unemployed educated youth of the community,
Yogi raised the issue of removal M form system ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls for making voting system form displaced community simple and transparent in order to remove this long discrimination.
Addressing the meeting Vinod Pandita emphasized the urgent need for a concrete and time-bound rehabilitation Policy for the return of the displaced community in the Valley with honor and dignity.
Pandita also called for the implementation of the immovable migrant property act 1997 in letter and spirit and urged the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner to coordinate in this respect as a nodal agency of migrants.Pandita further highlighted the plight of migrants of Purkhoo Phase II living in deplorable conditions and appealed to the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner to arrange suitable accommodation for these families as their condition in temporary sheds is deplorable.
Vaibhav Mattoo social activist & spl invitee of session highlighted the issues of provisions for regular supply of pure drinking water in all camps, internal repairments, and maintenance of migrant quarters and sought immediate steps in this direction.
The representatives of all PM package Coordination Committee Rubon Saproo, Ranjan Jotshi, Vinod Tickoo and Amit Koul while speaking in the meeting highlighted the genuine problems of PM package employees working Valley like promotion issue, accommodation issue, transfer issue etc in detail and submitted a detailed Memorandum of demands to the Relief Commissioner and urged for early consideration of their demands.
Relief and rehabilitation Commissioner Dr.Arvind Karwani while addressing a huge gathering complimented the Vitasta Helping Hand Trust for organizing this first noncamp interaction meet and assured the displaced community that he would leave no stone unturned in mitigating the important and long pending genuine issues of the community.
He also assured the mammoth gathering that he would take all problems highlighted here in the session at the highest level in administration for their early solution. Many representations comprising of different problems were presented before him by many migrants to which he assured timely action shortly on the merits of the problems.
The others who voiced concerns and highlighted the community issues were Mohan Lal Bhat,
M L.Pandita, Shiban Ji, Virender Bindroo, Vinod Bhat, Pintoo Ji, Maharaj Krishan Koul etc
In the end vote of thanks was presented by Vishal Jotshi coordinator of the Vitasta Helping Hand Trust and organizer of the programme.
