Srinagar, Apr 6: At least 34 persons belonging to minority communities have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir since 2017, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Wednesday.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai revealed the figures in the parliament while replying to a question of parliamentarian Mahesh Poodar about attack on minorities in J&K, news agency KNO reported.
Rai said that 11 persons of minorities were killed in 2017, three in 2018, six in 2019, three in 2020 and 11 in 2021.
To another question whether there is mechanism to provide monetary compensation to victims, the minister said that an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakhs is given under the scheme “Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims/Family of Victims of militant /Communal/ LWE Violence and Cross Border Firing and Mine/IED Blasts on Indian Territory”.
“In addition, Rs 1 lakh is paid to the NoKs of civilians killed in militancy related violence under the existing scheme of Government of Jammu and Kashmir,” Rai said.
The minister said that he government has taken “several measures to ensure safety of minorities in the valley”.
“These include a robust security and intelligence grid, group security in the form of static guards, day and night area domination, round the clock checking at nakas, patrolling is being carried out in the areas where the minorities reside besides proactive operations against militants”.