Rajnath wants quick notification on Enemy Property Act rules

New Delhi, Dec 18: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday directed expeditious notification of the rules of the Enemy Property Act 2017.

"The rules should be notified expeditiously considering the importance of the new provisions in the Enemy Property Act 2017," he said while reviewing the functioning of Freedom Fighters and Rehabilitation Division (FFRD) of the Home Ministry.

The Minister also asked that the custodian office be strengthened for this purpose and the FFRD should identify the properties free from encumbrance for quick disposal and monetisation.

A statement from the Ministry said that similar properties in Pakistan belonging to Indians have been disposed of.

The Parliament last year passed a bill for amending Enemy Property Act, a 49-year-old law, saying the successors of those who migrated to Pakistan and China during partition will have no claim over the properties left behind in India.

Rajnath Singh further said that the appointment of nodal officers by the state governments be pursued to coordinate identification, vesting and valuation of enemy properties.

During the meeting, it was also informed that the survey of 6,289 properties has been completed and the process in respect of remaining 2,991 properties will be completed soon, said the statement.

"Also the properties in the process for vesting numbering 5,863 may also be surveyed at the earliest."

The meeting also decided that the distribution of pension through banks to the freedom fighters under Swantratra Sainik Samman Yojana should be further streamlined by strengthening Pension Distribution Monitoring Cell to reconcile on monthly basis.

It was informed that 73 per cent of pension accounts have been linked to Aadhaar by the banks and the division was given the target to achieve 100 per cent linkage at the earliest by coordinating with the all 23 banks.

The rehabilitation issues relating to Sri Lankan Tamilians staying in 107 camps and Tibetian refugees were also reviewed in the meeting and the division was advised to ensure their good living conditions.

The progress of developmental activities for settling about 1,000 returnees from former Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and infrastructure development in 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal was also reviewed at the meeting, said the statement, adding that so far, Rs 413 crore has been released to the West Bengal government for developing the infrastructure.

Rajnath Singh also asked the officials to monitor the progress of the implementation regularly to ensure timely completion of the project to rehabilitate the returnees.

Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and senior officers of the Home Ministry also attended the meeting.