Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday informed the Assembly that no land belonging to Kashmiri migrants has been acquired in the Valley in violation of prescribed legal procedures. He asserted that the ruling Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has consistently worked to ensure justice for the displaced community.
Replying to a starred question raised by CPI(M) legislator M Y Tarigami, the Deputy Chief Minister said that as per the report submitted by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, no land has been acquired without following due procedure, including prior notification and verification, and all acquisitions are assessed under applicable land acquisition laws.
Choudhary was replying on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of the Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR) Department.
2022 Order for PM Package Employees
On the issue of a separate order issued in June 2022 for nearly 6,000 employees appointed under the Prime Minister’s Special Package for the Pandit community serving in the Valley, the Deputy Chief Minister clarified that the order does not adversely affect their service interests. Instead, he said, it strengthens and protects them.
He stated that recruitment and initial appointments of Kashmiri migrants under the Prime Minister’s Package are governed by the J&K Migrants (Special Drive) Recruitment Rules, 2009, along with the creation of 6,000 supernumerary posts sanctioned in 2009 and 2017. These provisions address entry into service and availability of posts.
However, with large-scale appointments under the package, the government felt the need for a structured service management framework. Accordingly, the June 2022 order was issued to regulate seniority, cadre management, postings, and career progression of PM Package employees.
“These provisions are protective and enabling in nature and ensure that PM Package employees are not disadvantaged vis-à-vis regular employees,” he said, adding that there is no inconsistency between previous orders and the 2022 directive.
He further informed the House that proposals for additional service improvements and possible absorption of PM Package employees into the regular cadre are under examination by the General Administration and Finance Departments.
Registration of Migrants
Addressing concerns over delays in provisional registrations of Kashmiri migrants, Choudhary said that on July 12, 2023, the administration decided that in view of the improved law and order situation in the Valley, fresh registrations on security grounds were not justified and no further extensions to provisional registrations would be granted.
He added that a screening committee reconstituted in May 2024 has reviewed all pending cases. Out of 1,263 cases, CID and District Magistrate reports are awaited in only 75 cases, which will be decided immediately after receipt of the reports.
He ruled out any inordinate delay, stating that since the process involves security and threat perception assessments, each case requires detailed verification by the CID and district administration.
Opposition’s Concerns
In his supplementary remarks, Tarigami termed the 2022 order “highly discriminatory,” though he welcomed the government’s initiative to review it. He also urged the government to reassess relief for pensioners, pointing out that the structure fixed in 2018 has not kept pace with inflation.
Raising the issue of political migrants, he argued that migration was forced by circumstances and not voluntary, and therefore all such cases should be reviewed on humanitarian grounds.
Responding to the concerns, the Deputy Chief Minister rejected allegations of discrimination and reiterated that the government remains committed to justice for all migrants. He described migration as “unfortunate,” adding that while many cases are genuine, some cases have not been found genuine during verification.
