Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 30: In a major relief for the firing victims along the International Border in three districts of Jammu region, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given nod to the proposal for construction of multi utility 240 concrete bunkers for the people living within the firing range of Pakistan to protect them during sudden heavy mortar shelling and firing by the Pakistani troopers.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the proposal has been formally approved and will be put before the Union Cabinet shortly for clearance, which was mandatory as entire proposal will be funded by the Central Government to protect the civilians, who have repeatedly been falling prey to Pakistani mortars and bullets triggering panic among them including silent migration to the houses of their relatives.
Sources said initially the Central Government has decided to construct 240 concrete bunkers for collective use by hamlets to take shelter during sudden shelling and firing from across the border.
“The bunkers will not be meant for every single house but collective for hamlet depending upon the population. There can be three to four bunkers based on population of the border hamlet, which can easily accommodate the all border dwellers. The bunkers will be constructed on most modernized lines and will have even cooking facilities if the villagers had to prolong their stay due to continued shelling,’’ sources said.
Pointing out that the MHA will bear entire cost of the construction of bunkers and acquisition of land, sources said the Government has decided to fulfill one of its major commitment made to the border dwellers during the elections shortly.
“All previous Government had shown dream to the border people on 5 marla plots and construction of concrete bunkers for their protection during the firing but no Government fulfilled it. The BJP-led NDA Government has taken a decision and will be implementing it very shortly, which will benefit the border people of three districts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua,’’ sources said.
According to sources, the bunkers will be constructed close to the civilian population and their fields to help them immediately switch over to the bunkers from houses and fields in case of firing and shelling and protect themselves. They said that once the project is set into motion, the execution was not going to take long time. Moreover, they added, the Centre wanted construction of the bunkers at the earliest in view of constant shelling and firing from Pakistan.
Only a day before, three civilians including two women were killed and 17 others were injured in heavy Pakistan shelling in RS Pura and Arnia sectors. Sources admitted that the bunkers would have saved lives of the border dwellers.
For the past three days after Pakistani Rangers pounded border villages with heavy 82 mm mortars and Machine Guns firing, the border people haven’t ventured to work in the fields as they were apprehensive that the Rangers could resume shelling and firing anytime in view of escalated tensions on the borders. Even the administration has advised the border dwellers not to venture out in the fields and outside till the things settled down on the borders.
“The presence of bunkers will make lot of difference. The people can immediately rush to bunkers from the fields and protect themselves from Pakistani shelling,’’ sources said.
Noting that some well off people along the International Border have constructed the bunkers on their own in their houses, sources described number of such bunkers as very small and admitted that majority of population had no protection except for hiding themselves behind walls of their houses during shelling and firing from across the border.
It may be mentioned here that only recently the MHA had approved a proposal to grant Rs 5 lakh compensation to next of kin of those killed in the border shelling and firing in addition to the relief given by the State Government. A proposal to this effect has been approved by the MHA and will be shortly sent to the Union Cabinet for final approval.
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