Empower PoJK Refugees Politically

The Delimitation Commission under its final order on Jammu & Kashmir has recommended the nomination of displaced persons from Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in the Legislative Assembly of J&K. Initially, the Commission has ruled out de-freezing of 24 seats reserved for PoJK people in J&K under delimitation drive. And due to it all thought that political doors for these PoJK refugees are again closed. But this latest and unpredicted recommendation to the Union Government (made on the pattern adopted in the Legislative Assembly of Union Territory of Puducherry) once again has raised political hopes in this entire community waiting for political justice at the hands of successive governments. This recommendation made by the Commission appears to be the greatest step to empower PoJK refugees politically in J&K. The entire PoJK community feared that after the Delimitation, the benefits the central government had promised to Jammuites from dilution of Article 370 and 35A won’t reach them ever.

This step suggested in the favour of PoJK refugees seems to have come after various PoJK delegations fought with logic, commitment and integrity before the Commission that they even after 70 years are forced to live as refugees in their own country in absence of political empowerment.  The truth is that it was not so easy for PoJK people to reach this milestone after 70 years. It’s difficult to put in precisely when politically things started to move in favour of PoJK people because in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, 24 seats were kept vacant under the J&K Constitution for the natives of the PoJK in the J&K Legislative Assembly under section 48 of the J&K Constitution. In 2014, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs also recommended the de-freezing of eight 'reserved' seats for the PoJK community. It was also suggested that the Government of India should take up the matter of de-freezing these seats with the State Government and impress upon the J&K Government to make amendments in the J&K Constitution. But nothing was done to shut the debate.

For sure this should have been settled a long time back by the politicians who always promised to deliver results. Now the ball is in the central government's court and hope remains that soon some sharp mind full of enthusiasm would settle this problem. Getting reservation in the assembly is like getting 'last wish' fulfilled because all these refugees were promised an amount of Rs 25 to 30 lakh but were paid only Rs 5.5 lakh and even the process of registration of PoJK refugees has been stopped. Finally to end this political flaw, the Government of India must act without further delay as assembly elections are due in J&K and this move will benefit BJP because the population of PoJK refugees in the J&K is estimated at 14 lakh, with nearly 7 lakh of them registered as voters settled in different assembly constituencies. That’s a pure reflection of the political weight this community holds in the Jammu region.

Moreover, while addressing the media  in July last year J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina said that they have demanded reservation for PoJK refugees by unfreezing the 8 assembly seats from the PoJK quota to give adequate representation to them in the assembly.   For BJP, challenge and opportunity stands together and now it is for them to take the political incentive or penalty. Entire PoJK community is now looking forward to the BJP led Government of India for collective justice and fairness to ‘change the world’ for them. Undoubtedly, without political empowerment the idea of fair democracy would be incomplete for PoJK people living here. There could be resistance to implement the recommendation of the Commission but the government this time is expected to play a decisive and historic role for the coming generation of this community and simply open gates for their future as well.

Power Crisis: Theft A Prime Reason

The year 2022 has brought the whole country under power cuts and normal life has got affected in many metro cities of India. Majorly the people in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are suffering and the coal shortage is the reason behind this newly developed power shortage across India. But for Jammu, power cuts are a routine every summer. Sadly, this year is the worst for Jammu and the reason behind it is the coal shortage in India. Usually power demand in Jammu in the month of May increases, however this year this increased demand is not getting fulfilled, resulting in major power crisis.

This worst scenario has taken political debate surrounding power cuts to a new level. Interestingly, areas which are BJP’s strongholds in Jammu are seeing people out on the streets to demand regular power supply. On the other hand, Kashmir based political leaders alleged that curtailment of electricity during the month of Ramzan was done deliberately to bother people and play with their sentiments. Even the president of the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) issued a warning to the J&K administration that the consumers will stop paying bills if the crisis is not resolved immediately.

Amid all this, the question remained as to why this situation couldn’t be brought under control? Infact with every passing year electricity cuts in the summer season are becoming worse. Against all this, the J&K PDD department never took serious efforts to prevent this situation from becoming a crisis. Two reasons were openly visible for this deteriorating problem; firstly, there are transmission and distribution (T&D) losses and secondly, losses due to the ‘power theft’. The first reason is a technical problem but second is purely man made and if rightly said in words it’s ‘invention of PDD officers’. This ‘invented problem’ is now worth crores of rupees. So where is this money generated out of theft, bribery, and other illegal activities going?

Surprisingly, PDD’s Special Task Force (STF) created to check unauthorized use of electricity never detected this ‘power theft’ and flow of money associated with it. This situation reflects that these illegal electricity connections are running only due to the connivance of many officers in the department. Instead of making efforts to eliminate power theft, some officers have created a parallel income method by allowing power theft in Jammu. This is happening in both rural and urban areas of Jammu and is so deep rooted that for decades no one was ever found involved and dealt with under the law.

Only extensive tours of the various power stations of Jammu won’t bring us out of this annual power crisis. Visits to identify the ‘power theft’ which is a prime reason should be done and concerning officers should be held responsible. Because when we go to any residential or commercial area, we find illegal power connections which cannot operate without facilitation by PDD officers. All illegal connections are being tolerated due to bribery. And this modus operandi adopted by PDD officers and by some unscrupulous elements in the society is causing the genuine and honest consumers to suffer.