The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in its annual review report has claimed that the number of incidents related to militancy in 2020 (up to November 2020) has declined by 63.93 percent as compared to the corresponding period in 2019 in Jammu & Kashmir.

It also said the newly carved out union territory (UT) had witnessed a dip in fatalities among the special forces by 29.11 per cent and in case of civilian casualties by 14.28 percent, while noting the recently concluded District Development Council (DDC) elections as the landmark decision.

In the report under the title – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh – Further steps towards Integration of the new UTs with the Union – the MHA said, “The number of militant incidents in 2020 (up to 15 November) decreased by 63.93 per cent as compared to the corresponding period in 2019. There was also a decrease in fatalities of special forces personnel by 29.11 per cent and a decrease in casualties of civilians by 14.28 per cent in 2020 (up to 15th November) as compared to the corresponding period in 2019.”

The MHA report said “One-time financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakh per family was provided to 36,384 displaced families from PoJK and Chhamb under the Prime Minister Development Package.” It went on to add that a one-time financial assistance at the rate of Rs.5.5 lakh per family for the 5,764 families of West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) in the erstwhile state “is also being provided on a par with displaced persons of PoJK and Chhamb”.

Highlighting the steps taken for further integration of the two new UTs – J&K and Ladakh- with the Union of India, it said, “They include adaptation of central laws and state laws in the two UTs. Orders were notified for adaptation of 48 central laws and 167 state laws in respect to the UT of J&K. Orders relating to adaptation of 44 central laws and 148 state laws in UT of Ladakh were also notified.”

The report said a Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal was established at Jammu on June 6, 2020 and the J&K official languages Act, 2020 was notified on September 27, 2020 and came into force from September 29, 2020. Thus Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi, and English have now become official languages of the UT of J&K, it added.

Courtesy: Daily Tribune: 10th January 2021