Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the government of India had adopted a “humane” approach towards migrants and displaced people, but it was strongly against illegal immigration. Singh also said that India will “ensure” that Pakistan is forced to end ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister’s remarks on migrants came after the United Nations Human Rights Council criticised India for deporting Rohingya refugees to Myanmar where they are facing persecution.
The government had allocated Rs 2,000 crore for the rehabilitation of migrants from Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and its disbursal had been linked to Aadhaar cards, the Minister said at a press conference here.
Besides, he said, the government had also decided to construct 6,000 transit accommodations in the Kashmir Valley.
Calling the people living in the border areas of the country as “strategic assets”, Rajnath Singh said the Union government would constitute an experts group to study the problems faced by these people.
He announced an increase in compensation for those killed in cross-border firing from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and also building of more bunkers in areas near the Line of Control (LoC).
The Home Minister, who is on a four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from 9 September, on Monday visited Naushera and met border area people as well as Border Security Force personnel.
Singh said that India will “ensure” that Pakistan is forced to end ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir. He said, “Since 2014, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire agreement 400 times. We will ensure that Pakistan is forced to stop these ceasefire violations.”
He said: “For the last four days I have been visiting J&K. I went to Nowshera yesterday where thousands of people were present. I met BSF jawans and also those of the Army there. After meeting the people in Nowshera, I have felt that these people are the strategic assets of the country. Their spirit and nationalism makes all Indians proud.
“Despite ceasefire violations, they continue to live at the borders. Their contribution in protecting the borders of the country is immense. Sixty safety bunkers have been constructed for border residents and more will be constructed.”
Singh said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is an autonomous investigating agency and no government in power should intervene in its working.
The Minister was answering a question on the NIA crackdown on Kashmiri separatists in connection with the terror funding case being investigated by the anti-terror agency.
Meanwhile, a woman was injured on Tuesday in unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Army on the LoC in the Nowshera sector. The incident occurred in the Lam area in Jammu and Kashmir, police sources said. The incident happened a day after Singh visited the border residents in the area. IANS