Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Tuesday said the Kashmiri Pandits return to the Valley, adding that their community is an essential part of the state's culture.
"The Kashmiri Pandits should come back and stay together in societies. These people are a part of this culture and they have a brotherhood here," Nirmal Singh said.
The Deputy Chief Minister also noted that the Jammu and Kashmir Government had shifted to its summer capital of Srinagar from its winter capital of Jammu earlier in the day.
"Today the government was shifted from Jammu to Srinagar. Many hopes have come alive in Kashmir because of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance. In the coming day, we will provide good governance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir," he added.
The government plans to resettle tens of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits in three new townships in Kashmir.
However, separatists have opposed the government's plan saying the move will change the state's social fabric.