NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday gave its nod to the continuation, up to 2020, of eight schemes of the Home Ministry for relief and rehabilitation of migrants under the umbrella scheme “Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates”. The scheme, on which the government will spend Rs 3,183 crore, will cover refugees, displaced persons, victims of terrorist attacks, communal and Naxalite violence, cross-border firing, and mine and IED blasts on Indian territory, and riot victims.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Nodi. Addressing the media, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the financial implication of this decision was Rs 3,183 crore for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20, and the year-wise phasing of the scheme will be Rs 911 crore in 2017-18, Rs 1,372 crore in 2018-19 and Rs 900 crore in 2019-2020.
A government statement said, “The eight schemes approved for continuance are already in operation, and the benefits under each will be extended to intended beneficiaries in accordance with the approved criterion.”
The schemes are: Grant of enhanced relief of Rs 5 lakh per deceased person who died during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots; Central assistance for one-time settlement of displaced families from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Chhamb settled in Jammu and Kashmir; and rehabilitation package and upgradation of infrastructure of the Bangladeshi enclaves and Cooch Behar district in West Bengal after transfer of enclaves between India and Bangladesh under a land boundary agreement.
Relief assistance to Sri Lankan refugees staying in camps in Tamil Nadu and Odisha; grant-in-aid to Central Tibetan Relief Committee for five years for administrative and social welfare expenses of Tibetan settlements; grant-in-aid to government of Tripura for maintenance of Brus lodged in relief camps of Tripura; rehabilitation of Bru and Reang families from Tripura to Mizoram; and Central scheme for assistance to civilian victims and families of victims of terrorist, communal, and left-wing extremism-related violence; and cross-border firing and mine and IED blasts on Indian territory are part of it.
The eight schemes were started to help those who have suffered on account of displacement to earn a reasonable income.