Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) government has started implementing a plan to provide basic infrastructural facilities in the already-existing residential colonies of AJK refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971, official sources said. The sources told APP here on Saturday under the plan proprietary rights would be granted to the dwellers of these residential colonies.
The sources said that 219 such colonies of the Kashmiri refugees are presently existing in all the three districts of Mirpur division including Mirpur, Bhimbher and Kotli. The AJK cabinet had recently decided to allot the lands to the dwellers (refugees) of these colonies on officially determined subsidised rates through easy term installments.
Besides the AJK government was also taking necessary steps for the rehabilitation of the Jammu Kashmir refugees coupled with extending them all the latest civic amenities in the Kashmir Colonies constructed in different parts of the country including Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Lahore, Jhelum and Rawalpindi.
The sources said that 28 projects of basic amenities including the construction of roads, sewerage and drinking water supply schemes in the Kashmir colonies in Punjab province including in Gujranwala division will soon be launched. These projects will cost about Rs 260 million, the sources said and added the projects will be executed and completed within the stipulated time frame by AJK Public Works Department. The projects of basic amenities of life will help rehabilitate the homeless Jammu Kashmir refugees in the Kashmir colonies in minimum possible time.
The refugees, it may be added, have already been allotted the residential plots in the Kashmir Colonies since long and the allottees were waiting for the development works on the projects of the civic amenities of life in these colonies.