The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has requested a formal response from the union territory administration regarding a petition that seeks the allocation of land in Srinagar for establishing a residential colony for displaced Kashmiri Pandits. This request, issued on Tuesday, was made by Justice Shahzad Azeem in response to a petition submitted by the Displaced Kashmiri Residents Housing Cooperative Society.
The petition urges the administration to implement the rehabilitation framework recommended in the 137th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, dated February 2009. It also cites decisions made by the Jammu and Kashmir State Cabinet, along with relevant government orders aimed at supporting the reintegration of Kashmiri Pandits into the valley.
The parliamentary committee’s recommendations emphasized the necessity of comprehensive measures, including housing solutions, for the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits. Following these recommendations, the former State government sanctioned an extensive package to facilitate this process. Additionally, the petition seeks to compel the government to honor the commitment made by the then State Chief Secretary to the Supreme Court in 2009, which involved a rehabilitation package amounting to ₹1,618.40 crore for individuals displaced by terrorism.
The Supreme Court’s final order expressed optimism that the government would undertake all essential actions to rehabilitate those affected by terrorism. Despite this, the petitioner society claims that, as of 2024, no decisive steps have been taken by the government, even after inviting bids for housing colony developments under a public-private-partnership model. The petitioner claims to have submitted an expression of interest (EOI) on September 2, 2024, specifically for a project designed to facilitate the return and rehabilitation of individuals displaced during the 1990 exodus.
However, the society alleges that government authorities have yet to act, despite the petitioners’ continuous appeals to various governmental departments since January 2025 for land allocation and administrative support. Legal representation for the petitioner includes advocates Satya Anand Sabharwal, Sikander Hyaat, and Numan Zargar.
