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WPRs to get Rs 5.50 Lakh per family as Govt gives nod to scheme

Vikas Sharma. Dated: 9/27/2018 9:00:04 AM

VIKAS SHARMA
Jammu, Sep 26
In order to provide more respite to the West Pakistani Refugees (WPSs) the government today announced to launch a scheme under which they would be provided financial assistance of Rs 5.50 Lakh.
The decision in this regard was taken during a high profile meeting held, under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik, in which the Jammu and Kashmir Government gave nod to the adoption and notification of a scheme for West Pakistani Refugees (WPRs), under which a financial assistance of Rs 5.50 lakh will be provided to each family.
Pertinent to mention here that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had in June, 2018, conveyed its approval to the proposal for providing one-time financial assistance amounting to Rs 5.50 lakh per family to 5,764 families of WPRs settled in J-K.
“The expenditure incurred on this scheme would be borne by Government of India. The amount of Rs. 5.50 lakh per family will be disbursed directly into their Bank Accounts based on the authentication by the State Government,” said a top government official.
The Divisional Commissioner Jammu has been designated as Nodal Officer for the smooth implementation of the scheme after proper verification of families of West Pakistan Refugees.
The Scheme shall be executed through Deputy Commissioners (DCs), who for this purpose shall be declared as ‘Designated Authority’ in the district.
The West Pakistan refugees, who came to the state after the Partition, are either Dalits or belong to other backward classes. As they have been denied voting rights in Assembly, panchayat and civic elections, political parties have always ignored their woes. However, they are eligible for casting votes in the Lok Sabha elections. They were a deciding factor in elections to two parliamentary constituencies of the Jammu region.