Cabinet approves Rs. 2000 crore for settlement of POK refugees

PM Narendra Modi

Cabinet approves Rehabilitation Package for Displaced Families from Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Chhamb under the Prime Minister’s Development Package for Jammu & Kashmir, 2015

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has approved Central Assistance of Rs. 2000 crore for one time settlement of 36,384 displaced families from Pakistan occupied areas of Jammu & Kashmir (POJK) and Chhamb following an announcement of Prime Minister’s Development Package for Jammu & Kashmir-2015 in November, 2015

As per the package, Rs. 5.5 lakh cash benefit per family will be disbursed to the displaced families to enable them to earn an income and subsist their livelihood. The amount will be released to the State Government of J&K to be disbursed to eligible families through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

In the aftermath of partition of the country in 1947, thousands of families from Pakistan occupied areas of Jammu & Kashmir migrated to the State of Jammu & Kashmir. Subsequently, during Indo-Pak Wars of 1965 and 1971, a large number of families were displaced from Chhamb Niabat area of Jammu & Kashmir. Series of relief and rehabilitation packages have been extended by the Government of India/State Government of J&K from time to time to mitigate the hardship of displaced persons from PoJK and Chhamb and to rehabilitate them.