Jammu, Jan 10: After a tug-of-war over implementation of 73rd constitutional amendments in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress has now put a defiant face against its coalition alliance National Conference over grant of Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs) to the West Pakistan refugees in the State.
Informed sources told Greater Kashmir that Congress is ready to “fight another battle” with National Conference leadership over the PRC issue. “We have made it clear to NC that the issue has to be resolved and refugees have to be given state subject status well before the next general election,” a senior Congress leader, wishing anonymity, said.
He said the NC leadership will have to “fall in line like it did over the issue of amending the Panchayati Raj Act.”
Pertinently Congress is raising the issue as a “human problem”, claiming that refugees have suffered a lot during the last several decades since they had been displaced from their native places. “It is a multi-dimensional and ticklish matter and above all a human problem,” Congress leaders said, adding, “Unfortunately the matter has also not been examined in depth by successive governments in the State for decades together.”
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Prof Saifudin Soz said the Congress state unit and the union government is optimistic over the issue. “The matter has already been taken up with the Government of India which has given a very positive response in respect of granting PRCs to refugees,” Soz told Greater Kashmir over phone from New Delhi.
He said, “I have discussed the matter with Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Home Minister. They all have given a very positive response.”
He however said that for its amicable resolution, the issue will also be discussed in the Colaition Coordination Committee meeting soon. “I am confidant and have no doubt that this problem will be resolved amicably without any tension,” he asserted. “Both central as well as state government will have to be on board for resolving the issue.”
Pertinently the Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister, Raman Bhalla and Health Minister, Sham Lal Sharma recently said the state government will bring an amendment in the upcoming assembly session for granting PRCs to West Pakistan refugees.
The public announcement did not auger well with the coalition partner NC which said the West Pakistan refugees are not the residents of Jammu and Kashmir and therefore there is no question of granting PRCs to them.
The NC had also made it emphatically clear that the government on its behalf has no intentions of bringing any such amendment which has “every potential of diluting the special status which the state enjoys with Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST