SRINAGAR: The Union Home Ministry and Jammu and Kashmir government are exploring the possibility of opening seven new cross-LoC routes, notwithstanding the skirmishes and tensions persisting along the de facto border. Four of these routes are likely to be thrown open to the people, mainly divided families, living on the two sides during 2017.
“The State government is discussing with the Union Home Ministry the opening of four new routes this year which include Jammu-Sialkot, Chhamb Jourian – Mirpur, Gurez-Astoor-Gilgit and Jhanger (Nowshera)-Mirpur,” Governor N.N. Vohra said while delivering his customary speech to the joint sitting of the J&K Legislature ahead of its budget session. He added that opening of three other routes viz Kargil-Skardu, Turtuk-Khapulu, and Titwal-Chilhan (across the Neelam Valley) are also being explored.
The Governor also said that despite recent disturbances on the borders, cross-LoC trade has continued unabated and up to end of March 2016, at an aggregate, recorded import worth about Rs 4,000 crore of Pakistani currency and export worth about Rs 2,600 crore of Indian currency.
“A list of 21 more tradable items has been submitted to the Government of India for taking up this matter with the Government of Pakistan,” he said adding that the confidence- building- measures of opening additional trade routes is being pursued.
Speaking on the monetary support extended to the displaced persons of PoK (1947) as well as those Chhamb (1965 and 1971), an immediate settlement at the rate of Rs. 5.50 lakh has been provided in favour of each of the 36,384 families which have been found eligible through the laid down procedure. He said that yet another issue that is being played up is the issue of West Pakistan refugees.
“As a part of the Agenda of Alliance (between the PDP and the BJP), it was decided to sympathetically deal with this humanitarian issue. The State government has facilitated their identification to enable them to get work in the paramilitary forces and other central government establishments,” he said. The Governor sought to clarify, “This identification does not change the status of the West Pakistan refugees. They continue to be non-state subjects”.
