New Delhi, Oct 18 (IANS): In a relief measure for Kashmiri migrant families residing in the national capital, Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena has approved a substantial enhancement of the Adhoc Monthly Relief (AMR) they receive.
The AMR, which was previously set at Rs 10,000 per month, has now been increased to Rs 27,000 per month, marking a 170 per cent increase.
This increase comes after 15 years, during which time the AMR was doubled from Rs 5,000 per month to Rs 10,000 per month in 2007.
Notably, in 1995, the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) had initially fixed the AMR at Rs 5,000 per month.
To streamline the disbursement of relief, the L-G's approval includes mandatory Aadhaar seeding of data for eligible family members who receive the AMR.
Moreover, relief payments to the migrants will be made exclusively through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System and Public Financial Management System (PFMS), in accordance with the existing norms.
The AMR is provided to Jammu and Kashmir migrants under the 'Security Related Expenditure (Relief & Rehabilitation)' scheme, introduced by the Central Government in 1989-90.
This scheme supports the relief and rehabilitation of individuals who were displaced from the Kashmir Valley during the period of militancy. In Delhi, the AMR is granted to migrant families registered by the GNCTD between 1990 and 1993.
Currently, around 2,000 families in the national capital receive AMR at a rate of Rs 3,250 per person per month, with a maximum of four people per family.
Out of this amount, Rs 1,000 is provided by the GNCTD, while the Government of India contributes Rs 2,250, which is reimbursed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The monthly expenditure incurred on the AMR is approximately Rs 2.50 crore. It is anticipated that the number of beneficiaries will increase by nearly 70 per cent due to the rising number of "units" as a result of the growing number of family members.
This enhancement of the AMR aims to alleviate the financial burden on Kashmiri migrant families in Delhi and improve their overall well-being.