SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday inaugurated 1416 residential flats for migrant Kashmiri Pandit PM Package employees at three locations and reiterated that Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits and their dignified return to the Valley was essential to restoring Kashmir’s historical heritage and human dignity.
“Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits and it is deprived of a precious part of its soul. Dignified return of Kashmiri Pandit families is a commitment to restoring the historical heritage and human dignity of Kashmir,” Sinha said in his address while inaugurating the residential accommodation constructed for Pandit PM Package employees at Zewan in outskirts of Srinagar.
936 flats have been constructed across 39 blocks at Zewan.
The LG also inaugurated residential complexes at Kakan Maran in Budgam and Kulangam Bagh in Kupwara through virtual mode.
With the inauguration of these complexes, a total of 1,416 flats have been constructed for PM Package Pandit employees across the three locations.
The transit accommodation project consists 6,000 flats across 342 blocks at 20 locations in 10 districts of Valley. Of the 6,000 sanctioned flats, construction of over 5,200 flats has been completed and over 3,800 flats have already been allotted.
Describing each flat as a symbol of the aspirations, resilience and hopes of a family seeking a secure future in Kashmir, Sinha said the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandit families was integral to preserving Kashmir’s cultural, spiritual and civilisational heritage.
“Kashmir’s literary consciousness, spiritual heritage, and cultural splendour cannot be imagined without the contribution of Pandits,” he said.
The Kashmiri Pandits migrated enmasse from Valley after eruption of militancy in 1990. The Pandits are settled in Jammu, Delhi and other parts of the country.
The LG said the region’s natural, cultural and spiritual richness would be complete only when Kashmiri Pandit families returned to their homeland with dignity, security and confidence.
The inauguration of flats brought relief to hundreds of PM Package employees who have been awaiting government accommodation for years.
Sushil Raina, a PM Package employee from Kupwara who was allotted a flat at Zewan, described the development as a moment of joy, saying it would enable the families of employees to join them in the Valley and live in a secure environment.
He expressed confidence that Kashmiri Pandits would eventually return to the Valley, but said alongside central and J&K government, it was also the responsibility of the Muslim community to create a conducive atmosphere for their return.
“We have been working in the Valley for 14-15 years. It is because of the love and security extended to us that we have been able to work here,” he said.
Another PM package employee Vicky Kaav said it was a big relief for employees who had been waiting for government accommodation since 2010.
He said the transit accommodation would allow Pandit employees to live peacefully alongside Muslim community and expressed hope that after spending a few years in government accommodation, many would consider building their own houses and settling permanently in the Valley.
Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been put in place around the residential complex at Zewan, with the deployment of police and paramilitary personnel.