'Honourable' Rehabilitation of KPs, Refugees Most Imp Task: PM

JAMMU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said "honourable" rehabilitation of the West Pakistan refugees and Kashmiri pandits who migrated from the Valley is the most important task for his government

While inaugurating the phase-II of the Baglihar power project here, Modi said the package of 80,000 crore announced in Srinagar for the state will address "all problems" faced by the state

"There are lakhs for refugees since 1947 here...and about 15-20 per cent population of the state is displaced. This is not a small pain but a huge distress. It is high time that the 1947 refugees and displaced Kashmiri Pandits are provided an honourable come back to home

"All problems faced by the state, including the migrants and displaced, will be addressed by this 80,000 crore package announced today," he said

There are nearly 55,000 refugee families who came from West Pakistan in 1947. They have not been given any state subject thereby restricting them from purchasing land and government jobs in the state. However, the NDA government has already made a concession of adjusting youths of these families in central para-military forces

The number of Kashmiri pandit families is around 59,000 who had to leave the Valley in 1990 in the wake of militancy

Calling the package as the "biggest" in the history of the state, Modi said Jammu and Kashmir should reach new development horizons

"The package I announced for the state is just a sample. I can assure you that as fast paced and sincerely you spend this money with accountability the more the country's treasury will be dedicated for the state," he said

He said not only the treasury but hearts will be opened for the state

Modi announced that four new India Reserve Battalions (IRB) for the state will be raised in the state which will give job to 4,000 youths

Taking a dig at the opposition, he said many development works and schemes are being implemented across the country but what is understood by the common man, they (opposition) do not

"Some people do not even know what is a work and how is it done?," he said

He urged the youth, entrepreneurs and businessmen of the state to avail bank loan and other finance schemes announced by the central government in the last over an year

The PM urged them to avail benefits of the MUDRA and the 'Jan Dhan yojana' schemes

He said the government was making 18 kilometres road per day as compared to the 2-kilometres being made during the UPA rule

"In the coming days we want to expand the rail and road networks in the country as these facilities and basic amenities of water and electricity are required to strengthen the society," he said

He also said that his government has pledged to send electricity in thousand days time to 18,000 villages which do not even have an electric pole.

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