Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday (9 October) said the Centre will give financial support of Rs 5.5 lakh each to 5,300 refugee families that had migrated to Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan.

Briefing mediapersons following a cabinet meeting, Javadekar said: "The first lot of refugees came to India after Partition and the second lot came after the accession of Kashmir to India, and then many refugees from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Prime Minister in 2016, had already announced a package of Rs 5.5 lakh to the refugees families."

Explaining the delay in providing the financial assistance to these families, Javadekar said they had initially opted to move outside the state of Jammu and Kashmir, but later returned, and finally settled in the state. The rehabilitation package was approved by the Cabinet in November 2016.

He said that many families had initially gone to Kashmir, but later they settled in other states.

"Injustice was done with them, but now we have brought justice for them. I think it will be welcomed in Kashmir. 5,300 families will gain the financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakh. A historical wrong has been corrected", Javadekar said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)