Jammu and Kashmir interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma visits Talwara camp, meets militancy-affected families

Jammu: The Centre’s special envoy on Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, on Saturday met the migrant families living at Talwara camp in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir who appraised him about their problems and demands. [caption id=“attachment_4203429” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Centre’s special representative for Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma. PTI[/caption] Over 2,200 migrant families are living at Talwara camp since 1996 when they were forced to flee their homes in Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu region at the height of militancy. Sharma, who visited Srinagar and Jammu earlier in November, met Kashmiri pandits at Jagti township on Friday and would be in the state for four days. The Centre’s special representative on Saturday visited Talwara camp and met militancy-affected people of Jammu region and heard their issues, officials said, adding Sharma also took stock of the amenities at the camp. According to the residents of the Talwara camp, this was for the first time that an interlocutor visited the camp in the last two decades. The residents said they welcome the visit of Sharma and hope that all their grievances would be addressed in a time-bound manner. Accusing the successive central and state governments of meting out “step-motherly treatment” to them, the residents said their demands included construction of flats, better living facilities, renovation of government school building and an employment package for the jobless youth. They demanded the same facilities being provided to Kashmiri Pandits living in different parts of Jammu.