Rajnath approves concessions for Pakistani refugees in Kashmir

New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS) Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday approved "certain concessions" for post-1947 refugees from Pakistan settled in Jammu and Kashmir.

The home minister has written to various authorities requesting them to waive certain requirements, like having a proper identity certificate, so that they can get employment and their children could go to schools, an official release said.

"He has written to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that concessions, like waiving off the condition of producing identity certificate, may be permitted in their recruitment to the armed forces," it said.

Rajnath Singh directed the heads of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) that such refugees from Jammu and Kashmir, who are Indian citizens and have valid voter identity cards, be considered for recruitment in the forces, including the special recruitment drives conducted in the state.

As of now, the refugees face difficulty in filing documentary evidence of residency in support of their applications as the CAPFs' recruitment rules seek furnishing of Domicile Certificate from the candidates, while the state government issues only voter identity cards with Non-Permanent Residency status to such Indian nationals, it said.

Instructions were also issued to the school education department in the human resource development ministry to accommodate children of such refugees for admission to Kendriya Vidyalayas in the state.