Last Updated on July 28, 2022 at 9:18 am
Jammu and Kashmir would be accorded statehood at the proper time, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed Parliament on Wednesday. The Delimitation Commission has already sent out instructions, according to the ministry’s response.
When asked about J&K elections and statehood, the MHA responded that statehood to Jammu and Kashmir will be conferred at an opportune time. On March 14, 2022, and May 5, 2022, the Delimitation Commission published orders on the demarcation of the parliamentary and legislative assembly constituencies of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Election Commission of India will decide when to hold elections.
The Home Ministry has also provided a list of acts undertaken by the Indian government to develop the UT. The establishment of IIT and IIM, the creation of two new AlIMS, and the quick tracking of infrastructure projects in the areas of highways, power, and other areas are just a few of the actions the government has done to ensure the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir, according to the MHA.
Additionally, a new central programme with a budget of Rs 28,400 crore is being implemented for the industrial development of Jammu and Kashmir, creating 4.5 lakh jobs, according to the MHA. Moreover, the Delimitation Commission has announced 43 seats for Jammu and 47 seats for Kashmir, up from the previous numbers of 37 and 46 Assembly seats for Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.
The government stated in a different response that there had also been a significant decrease in terrorist assaults, from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021. However, there have been a few cases of assault by terrorists supported from across the border against members of minority groups and migrant labourers.
According to statistics provided by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, 28 migrant labourers have died since 2017, of whom two were from Bihar, one from Jharkhand, and seven belonged to Maharashtra, the MHA reported.
The Ministry added that ex-gratia assistance or compensation was given as per regulations to the surviving family members of any terrorist victim. In accordance with the current policy of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, ex-gratia payments of Rs 1 lakh are made to the families of civilians slain in militancy-related violence. The “Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims/Family of Victims of Terrorist/Communal/LWE Violence and Cross Border Firing and Mine/IED Blasts on Indian Territory” also awards Rs 5 lakh.
