New Delhi: Minister of State for Home affairs Nityanand Rai on Tuesday informed Lok Sabha, that as per the information provided by the government of Jammu and Kashmir, after the abrogation of Article 370, a total of 1,678 migrants have returned to the Union Territory for taking up the jobs under the Prime Minister's Development Package-2015.

Rai informed Lok Sabha in a written reply that as per the information provided by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, the land of 150 applicants has been restored after the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir.

Rai further informed the Lower House that the government has taken various measures to restore ancestral properties to migrant Hindus under the Jammu and Kashmir Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection & Restraint on Distress Sales) Act, 1997.

"District Magistrates (DMS) of concerned districts in Jammu and Kashmir are the legal custodians of the immovable properties of migrants, who take suo moto action on eviction proceedings in cases of encroachment," he added.

Rai informed Lok Sabha that migrants can also request the District Magistrates in such cases. The DMs are further empowered to take all steps for the preservation and protection of such properties.

"The government of J&K has launched a portal on September 7, 2021, to address the grievances of Kashmiri Migrants in this regard," the minister added in a written reply.

In August 2019, the Central government scrapped Article 370 which gave special rights to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two categories- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.