Government to allow Pakistani Hindus to buy property in India

People belonging to minority communities of Pakistan, staying in India on a long-term visa will soon be allowed to buy property, open bank accounts and get PAN and Aadhaar cards, with the Modi Government planning to roll out special facilities for them.

According to a PTI report, among other concessions the BJP-led Government is all set to offer them include reduction in fees for registration as citizens of India from Rs 15,000 to as low as Rs 100.

Though the exact number of minority refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan living in India is not known, according to rough official estimates there are around two lakh such people, mostly Hindus and Sikhs.

The report said there are around 400 Pakistani Hindu refugee settlements in cities like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Raipur, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Kutch, Bhopal, Indore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Delhi and Lucknow.

“The central Government has been constantly reviewing the hardships being faced by the minority communities in Pakistan staying in India on LTV. To ease some of their difficulties, it is proposed to provide the facilities,” a notification issued by the Home Ministry says.

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The facilities include permitting opening of bank accounts without prior approval of the Reserve Bank of India subject to certain conditions, permission for purchase of dwelling unit for self-occupation and suitable accommodation for carrying out self-employment without prior approval of RBI subject to fulfillment of certain conditions, said the report.