Terrorism declined, no Kashmiri Pandit migrated after abrogation of Art 370: MHA
The government has taken various measures to normalise the situation in the Kashmir Valley, Union minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai, said in the Rajya Sabha
There has been a substantial decline in terrorist attacks and no Kashmiri Pandit has reportedly migrated from Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, the Union ministry of home affairs said in Parliament on Wednesday.
“From August 5, 2019 till July 9 this year, 128 security force personnel and 118 civilians have been killed by the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir,” Union minister of state for home affairs, Nityanand Rai, said in the Rajya Sabha. “Out of 118 civilians killed, five were Kashmiri Pandits and 16 belonged to other Hindu and Sikh communities,” he added.
He said 5,502 Pandits have been provided government jobs in different departments of the government of J&K in the Valley under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP). “Further, as per the records, no Kashmiri Pandit has reportedly migrated from the valley during the said period,” Rai added.
Responding to another query on terror attacks in Kashmir, Rai said, “There has been substantial decline in terrorist attacks from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021. The government has taken various measures to normalise the situation in the Kashmir Valley. These include a robust security and intelligence grid, proactive operations against terrorists, intensified night patrolling and checking at Nakas, security arrangements through appropriate deployment and high level of alertness maintained by the security forces.”
“Moreover, the government has taken several steps for all round development of Jammu and Kashmir including implementation of Prime Minister Development Package, 2015, flagship programmes, establishment of IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) and IIM (Indian Institute of Management), two new AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) and fast tracking of infrastructure projects in roads, power, etc. Besides, a new central scheme is being implemented for industrial development of Jammu and Kashmir with an outlay of ₹28,400 crores which would provide employment to 4.5 lakh persons”.
About the election process in J&K, Rai said the government had constituted a delimitation commission, which has notified orders on March 14 and May 5 on delimitation of parliamentary and legislative assembly constituencies of J&K. “Thereafter, the Election Commission of India has initiated revision of electoral rolls of voters of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The decision to schedule elections is the prerogative of Election Commission of India,” the minister added.
On August 5, 2019, Articles 370 and 35(A) were nullified that gave the erstwhile J&K state its special status and the mandate to define its domicile rules.It was also bifurcated into two Union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
