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Package a major step : Azad

Ghulam Nabi Azad

Jammu: Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday termed the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s package for refugees from West Pakistan and PoK as a major step towards addressing their problems and cautioned them against those trying to find faults with it.

The package deserves to be appreciated as a meaningful beginning for addressing long standing problems of the affected people, Mr. Azad said addressing a function here and asked them not to fall prey to vested interests who try to find fault with every good work with an eye on votes. “Many political parties over the years have tried to mislead the refugees from West Pakistan and displaced persons from PoK during elections on false promises but did nothing tangible to address their problems”, he said. They would be provided domicile certificates on whose basis they could apply for jobs in the Central Government, he said, adding that in order to help them start their own business they would be given easy bank loans, Mr. Azad said.

It is a major concession announced by the Prime Minister for the west Pakistan refugees, he said. He said these measures were in addition to the decision taken by the State Government for improving their living conditions by upgrading civic amenities at the camp site as well as extending the benefits of the Centrally- sponsored schemes to them.

Referring to the incentive announced for the border population, Mr. Azad said due to persuasion by the State Government, the Defence Ministry had announced massive hike in the rent of land under the use of the army in border areas. PTI

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