Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik to go ahead with the resettlement of displaced Kashmiri Pandits in various districts of Kashmir valley.
This decision came after a series of meetings between the Centre and state governments. On his direction, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department have swiftly moved in many pending cases of terror funding and started questioning prominent editors and proprietors of leading newspapers in the state. This marks a fresh change in the crackdown on terror funding as earlier, investigation against the Hurriyat was put on hold.
Shah, right from the beginning, has been keen on shaping new policies in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to official sources, the state has approved the construction of 1,680 flats for displaced Kashmiri Pandits, with an increased concentration in south Kashmir. In a recent interview, Malik justified the need for separate colonies for Kashmiri Pandits and said that it was necessary for the government to provide them with a secure environment. Senior officials of the Planning Department said that they had been instructed to clear all logjams within two weeks and they had submittd six detailed project reports.
The official said that the government had cleared the construction of these flats in Baramulla, Shopian, Wandahama Ganderbal (in the mid-1990s, several Kashmiri Pandits were killed in firing at night at Wandahama) and Anantnag district.
As per sources, in the past too, these projects were cleared by successive Chief Ministers, but were delayed due to lack of funds and a final policy decision by the Centre.