By IANS
Jammu : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday fulfilled his promise to the Kashmiri Pandit migrants as he laid the foundation stone of a township for them near this winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
The township at Jagti in Nagrota is being constructed under the Prime Minister’s Economic Package at the cost of Rs.2.21 billion.
Manmohan Singh had committed in November 2004 to provide the Pandit migrants better living facilities.
Speaking on the occasion, he said he was happy to notice that the state government had taken effective measures to provide facilities to Kashmiri migrants.
He noted that 1,000 houses were already nearing completion and today the foundation for 4,218 more flats was laid which would be completed in two years.
The prime minister said that the government was fully aware of the problems faced by the Kashmiri Pandits and had kept the promises made to them albeit with some delay.
Maintaining that dignified return of Kashmiri migrants was a priority of the government, he said that efforts were being made to create conducive atmosphere for their safe return to their homes.
He said about 200 houses had already been constructed at Budgam district for those families who wished to return to Kashmir.
“We wait for the day when none of them is forced to live outside the valley,” he said, adding that till then the central government will provide all possible support to the state government for providing basic facilities like health, education and shelter to the migrants.
Manmohan Singh announced that relief provided to Kashmiri Pandit families would be enhanced, even as the state government was making efforts to launch a special recruitment drive to provide government jobs to them.
Saying that the government was aiming bring peace and tranquillity back in the militancy-hit state, he said a dialogue process was on involving various sections of society in Jammu and Kashmir.
The prime minister concluded his day-long visit of Jammu late Sunday afternoon after meeting delegations of legislators from the ruling Congress party, its alliance partner Peoples Democratic Party and the main opposition National Conference.