Jammu, October 05 (Scoop News)- Chairman, Social Media, J&K Congress, Adv Jatin K Raina, on Monday accused the BJP and the Lieutenant Governor-led administration of showing a lack of seriousness towards the long-pending demand for issuance of ST-2 certificates to eligible Scheduled Tribe members among Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) displaced persons, alleging that the issue has been deliberately kept pending despite its direct bearing on the future of thousands of displaced families.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Raina said the BJP, which has repeatedly claimed to champion the interests of displaced communities, should explain why eligible PoJK displaced persons continue to face difficulties in obtaining ST-2 certificates. He alleged that both the BJP leadership and the LG administration have failed to demonstrate the political will required to resolve the issue and provide eligible families access to their legitimate rights and benefits.
Flanked by Congress Block President Miran Sahib Gurmeet Singh, Sardar Babu Singh, Adv Pankaj Saproo and Inderpal Singh, Raina said the demand should not be treated as a routine administrative matter.
He maintained that people displaced from their ancestral areas decades ago have already suffered immense hardship and loss, and denying or delaying certification adds another layer of difficulty for their younger generations seeking education, employment and other opportunities.
Raina questioned the government’s approach towards the issue, saying that if the administration is genuinely committed to the welfare of PoJK displaced persons, it should immediately establish a clear, transparent and time-bound mechanism for issuing ST-2 certificates to all eligible applicants. He said the absence of ancestral records caused by decades-long displacement cannot be allowed to become an excuse for denying genuine beneficiaries their due.
The Congress leader demanded that the administration issue comprehensive directions to the concerned revenue authorities and organise special facilitation camps in areas having a substantial population of PoJK displaced persons. He said officials should assist applicants in verification of documents and provide a mechanism for correcting deficiencies instead of forcing displaced families to repeatedly visit government offices.
Taking a direct political swipe at the BJP, Raina alleged that the party has been making promises to the displaced community but has failed to translate those assurances into effective action on the ground. He said the BJP and the LG administration cannot continue to remain silent when the issue concerns the constitutional and legal entitlements of eligible members of the displaced community.
He further urged the Lieutenant Governor-led administration to personally intervene and ensure that pending cases are examined expeditiously. Raina said the government must demonstrate through action that the concerns of PoJK displaced persons are being taken seriously and that no eligible family is deprived of benefits because of procedural hurdles or lack of records resulting from displacement.
Raina asserted that the Congress would continue to raise the issue at every appropriate forum and seek accountability from the government. “The PoJK displaced community has waited for decades; it cannot be made to wait indefinitely for a certificate determining access to its legitimate rights,” he said, while demanding immediate intervention to settle the matter.
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