NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir will have the best domicile policy in the country, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday, assuring there would no demographic changes in the region and reiterating early restoration of statehood for the newly-created Union Territory of J&K.
Shah said a very attractive industrial policy would also be announced soon to address the issue of unemployment in J&K and for ensuring rapid economic development.
In the next four years, J&K will have three times more investments than `13,000 crore that it has received in last 70 years, Shah hoped, adding that there is a huge potential and investors are also willing to come forward.
These were some of the takeaways from Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s meeting with a 24-member political delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party led by its chief Altaf Bukhari.
Engaging for nearly two hours with the delegation on about 40-odd issues raised by them, the home minister emphasised that the government has no intention of bringing any demographic change in the region and “all such talks have no basis at all”.
Assuring the delegation that J&K will have a better domicile policy than other states in the country, he added that a reasonable economic development policy will be drafted soon after widespread consultation. Shah said his government is open to suggestions and feedback from all political parties and individuals for overall development of Jammu and Kashmir.
The government is working on a domicile policy for J&K to ensure land rights and non-gazetted jobs to the residents of J&K who have been living in the erstwhile state for the past 15 years. Other states in the country that have similar domicile policies are Himachal Pradesh, Uttarkhand and states in the Northeast.
Shah said release of all political prisoners will happen in “due course”.
Referring to steps like release of people from detention, restoration of internet, relaxation in curfew, he said that “even political prisoners will be freed in times to come as the main objective of the government is that not a single person should die, be it a common Kashmiri or security personnel”.
After the meeting, Bukhari said the home minister allayed fears of demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir and also assured of early return of statehood. The JK Apni Party chief also raised various other issues, including autonomy of J&K Bank.