Only one Kashimri Pandit family has returned to the Valley in the last 25 years, the J&K government told the Supreme Court. An estimated 4.5 lakh Kashmiri Pandits migrated from the valley as militancy rose in the state in 1990s.
According to a TOI report, the rehabilitation plan hasn’t been a success despite various schemes to bring them back to valley, including the Prime Minister Rehabilitation Plan of 2008 under which Rs 1,600 crore package was granted by the Centre.
The state government in its affidavit filed through advocate Sunil Fernandes admitted that there has not been much progress in respect of the various components of the Rs 1,600 package except in respect of employment and construction of transit accommodation for the displaced Pandits in the Valley.
“In furtherance of the return and rehabilitation scheme for Kashmiri migrants, the government has taken various initiatives, including inviting applications from those interested in returning to the Valley. In this regard, the government has so far received 6,510 applications but due to lack of consensus among the migrants and their family members, only one family has returned to the valley under the said package,” the report said quoting the affidavit.
The affidavit was filed after the court pulled up the government over its inertia to implement rehabilitation packages for the Pandits.