Raised building finances issue for Pandits with Centre: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said his government has taken up the issue of enhancing financial aid to construct buildings for Kashmiri migrant pandits with the Centre from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
"The State Government has vehemently taken up the issue of enhancing building construction finance available to migrants who want to return and construct their houses from present Rs 7.5 lakh to over Rs 20 lakhs with the Union government and is being persuaded constantly," Omar said chairing the meeting of Apex Advisory Committee for migrants here.
The Chief Minister asked the Relief and Rehabilitation Organisation to make migrants intending to return aware that if they avail the present available assistance of Rs 7.5 lakh for construction of houses they would not be debarred from receiving the enhanced amount.

"Any migrant taking Rs 7.5 lakh would get all the enhanced amount when the ceiling will be raised as proposed by the state government to the Centre," Omar said.
The CM gave nod to the proposal to effect modification to the Prime Minister's package to enable all migrant families who opt to return to Valley to avail the benefits under the package for reconstruction of houses even if such families have sold their properties after 1997.
The amendment will also ensure establishing of clusters at District level besides making employees living in transit camps entitled to avail the benefit under the scheme and also reduce the demand for construction of additional transit camp units.