MUZAFFARABAD, Oct 29: The AJK government on Monday announced more facilities and privileges for the refugees who migrated into Azad Jammu and Kashmir after 1989 due to Indian repression in the occupied territory.

In a handout, the government vowed to take steps to resolve the problems confronting the refugees, who it said had offered a lot of sacrifices for Kashmir’s freedom movement.

The steps, which had been officially notified, were taken in the light of recommendations by Finance and Rehabilitation Minister Shah Ghulam Qadir and Prime Minister’s Implementation Commission Chairman Raja Farooq Haider Khan, the handout said.

The handout said cards would be issued to all refugees living in the camps or outside. The families that arrived from occupied Kashmir on visa would be issued refugee cards after they submitted their Indian passports with the relevant authorities, it said.

Avery refugee living in the 15 camps in Azad Kashmir was getting Rs1,500 per month as subsistence allowance, the handout said and added that a medical board led by the commanding officer of the combined military hospital would be constituted to determine the fitness of the refugees. The board would include district health department officials and the doctor concerned.

The government has reversed its decision to stop payment of the allowance to more that three children of a family.

Refugee students in the colleges and universities would be given special allowances.

Land would be provided in the surroundings of the towns to rehabilitate the homeless refugees. In this connection, the rehabilitation department would provide amount for the purchase of 40 kanals near Rampura village.