Jammu migrants demand adequate relief packages - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The migrants from the Reasi and Rajouri districts, who had to shift from their homes in the militancy-infested areas of northern Jammu are demanding timely and adequate relief packages. The migrants are demanding basic amenities such as food and clothing in the camps. Despite the camp having a school, their children are losing out on formal education, as there are no teachers to teach them. Ram Sharma, a migrant said, "The government has not been providing us with sufficient food and other amenities. It was only till 2004 that we were given Rs 1600 and some basic groceries on a regular basis. "We used to get about 2 kilogram of rice and 11 kilograms of other essential commodities. But now it is just once in about six to eight months that we are given some relief by the government," added Sharma. Government officials, however, said the migrants are being given regular aid. S. S. Sambyal, the Assistant Commissioner of Reasi district said, "We have already paid relief till October to two groups of migrants from Reasi district that are living in the camp. For the rest, we have sent a demand letter to the district's Relief Commissioner." "As soon as we get the money and other relief material, we will distribute it to the other migrants," he added. In 1989, around 750 people residing in the remote villages of Doda, Reasi, Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu were forced to migrate to safer places on account of the sudden unrest in their areas. Till March 2004, the Jammu migrants were provided with some relief from the government but later the situation became grim.