The revenue department’s decision to snap power and water supply to Rohingya refugees in Jammu has triggered a row, with a minister from the Omar Abdullah government opposing the move.
The department has identified 409 Rohingya refugee families in Jammu who will lose power and water supply. Most of them live in slums built on private properties and pay rent. The authorities have identified seven clusters to implement its decision and the drive has already started.
Jammu and Kashmir Jal Shakti minister Javed Ahmed Rana has opposed the move, adding to the issues on which the administration of lieutenant governor (LG) Manoj Sinha and the Omar Abdullah government disagree. A hybrid governance model is in place in Jammu and Kashmir where the power contours are not defined clearly between the LG's administration and the elected government.
Sources in the National Conference (NC) claimed there was growing anger in the party, which feels that the LG’s office is calling the shots.
Sources said Omar had directed his ministers to stay calm to avoid more hurdles being raised to the restoration of statehood.
NC MLA and chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq on Saturday dispelled reports of a discord between the Raj Bhavan and the chief minister’s office.
The power department in J&K is helmed by Omar while Rana heads the water department.
Expressing outrage at the revenue department’s order, Rana said the Centre was handling the Rohingya issue but was duty-bound to provide water and power to everybody on humanitarian grounds.
Terming the decision “surprising”, Rana said he had not been consulted.
“If it has happened, the supply will be restored…. I think it is an administrative lapse to take such a big decision without informing the department concerned,” he told the media.
A Rohingya Muslim living in Jammu confirmed that power and water supply to some homes had been discontinued.
“We fear others will also be targeted. We are registered with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and want the government to let us live here till the situation improves in Myanmar. We live in a pathetic condition and have nowhere to go,” he said.
Jammu has witnessed a concerted campaign by its Right-wing eco-system seeking the ouster of the Rohingyas, with the LG’s administration working in tandem to create space constraints for the refugees. The reported decision to cut power and water supply suggests the adoption of a new hardline to force them out.
Officials put the number of Rohingyas in Jammu at around 6,500.
Last year, police had cracked down in various Jammu districts against people who were allegedly providing shelter to the Rohingyas or helping them get government documents.
Rohingya activists claim the latest move is aimed at forcing the refugees out of Jammu.
Around 269 Rohingyas were detained in Jammu in April 2021 following a campaign by local people, including BJP leaders. They are lodged at the Hira Nagar holding centre and have got no respite from the courts.
A five-month-old baby died last year in alleged police action against the centre’s inmates while they were protesting against their “illegal detention”.
A human rights group championing the Rohingyas’ rights released a video at the time showing the baby’s mother in handcuffs while mourning its death.
The inmates have held multiple protests seeking release or relocation to other countries where their family members are settled.