Justice, jobs, dignity for terror-victims’ families top priority: LG

Hands over appointment letters to 39 NoKs of terror sufferers

Srinagar, Dec 13: Reiterating his commitment to deliver justice, jobs and dignity to terror victim families, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday handed over appointment letters to 39 Next of Kins (NoKs) of terror victims from Kashmir Division, at Lok Bhavan here.

LG Sinha, according to the news agency—, said, “For these families, today the long wait for justice has ended. With concrete steps for rehabilitation, we have restored their dignity and faith in the system,”

The LG said that today, 39 families were given appointment letters, while 41 such families were handed over these letters earlier in Jammu.

While highlighting the deep and lasting scars left by terror and violence, LG Sinha said, “Terrorism not only claimed innocent lives but also shattered families, pushing them into decades of silence, stigma and poverty. Behind every brutal killing by terrorists lies a story of a home that never recovered, of children who grew up without parents.”

The Lieutenant Governor expressed concern that for a long time, the pain and trauma of these families were ignored.

He said, “Real victims of terrorism and true martyrs were often hounded by elements within the terror ecosystem. On one hand, Over Ground Workers (OGWs) were appointed to government jobs, while on the other, the Next of Kins of terror victims were left to fend for themselves.”

Stressing that the fight against terrorism is a collective responsibility, the Lieutenant Governor said society as a whole must unite against this menace. Reiterating the administration’s firm stance, LG Sinha declared that Jammu and Kashmir’s policy on terrorism is unequivocal. The Lieutenant Governor stated that after the abrogation of Article 370, the terror victim families have found new courage and self-confidence, and now they are speaking out against the terror ecosystem without fear.

Recalling his interaction with victims, Sinha said he met several families who lost their loved ones to terrorism and were left to struggle in silence for years.

Properties snatched in terror fear will be returned

The LG said the administration has also decided that properties belonging to the victims and their families, which were taken away during the years of terrorism, will be returned to the rightful owners. LG Sinha described how, for decades, those truly affected by terrorism were ignored while “those linked with the terror ecosystem” took undue advantage. “He called it a “painful paradox” that terrorists’ funerals were once glorified, while the real victims were forgotten. “We will not allow this injustice to continue. Those who glorify terrorism today will face strict action,” he said.

156 terror victims provided Self-Employment opportunities

According to the officials, 156 family members of terror victims have been provided self-employment opportunities under various schemes, including Mission Yuva, Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) and Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP). Furthermore, 17 encroachments have been removed from the properties belonging to terror victim families.

36 terror victim families have been identified for house reconstruction. More families will be identified and included as the process continues. The reconstruction work for the houses of the families whose homes were destroyed due to Pakistani shelling in Uri and Karnah will commence in April.