The Administrations intention to collect electricity rent from the displaced Kashmiri Pandits living in Jagti Migrant Camp in Nagrota has triggered anger among the community.
Recently, the Relief Commissioner Refugees had said in the media that there is a government order that now the refugees will have to pay electricity rent. A round of discussions has started in the camp of this displaced Kashmiri Pandits regarding this. As per data, There are 4224 quarters of Kashmiri Pandits in Jagti where 20 thousand displaced Kashmiris are living.
In 2011, the government had made a plan to collect electricity rent from the community, but Kashmiri Pandits came out on protest. After this the Government had to step back.
Shadi Lal Pandita, the head of the committee calling the move as discriminative said that Kashmiri Pandits are forced to live in refugee quarters because they are uprooted from their homes. “The government has not been able to rehabilitate these Kashmiri Pandits till date. These people survive only on the ration received from the government.How will they pay the bills?”
He added that First Kashmiri migrants should be rehabilitated, then electricity rent should be charged from them.