Avtar Bhat
HIRANAGAR, Sept 5: Blaming Congress for cancellation of Dogra certificate in Jammu region, Union Minister in PMO with independent Charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the Party should cooperate with the Government in undoing the wrongs done during its rule both in the State and at the Centre.
Addressing a gathering of border people near Zero Line in Hiranagar Sector , Dr Singh said that instead of shedding crocodile tears and showing false sympathy with border people, the national vice president of the Congress and MP, Rahul Gandhi should redeem and work for undoing the wrongs done during the Congress regime.
He said it was during the Congress Government in the State that the Dogra certificates were cancelled and this way the people of this region, who were known for their valour and bravery world over, were deprived of their chances of recruitment in Army on priority basis. This way the Congress has done a great harm to the Dogra cause, he added.
He while commenting on the recent statement of the AICC vice president, he said that Congress leadership should have done an introspection and studied the facts instead of making a statement and pointing fingers on BJP or State coalition Government.
Dr Singh stressed that all political parties should have a consensus and support the Dogra certificate issue for which the BJP has always extended open support.
Ridiculing the Rahul Gandhi’s statement in this regard, he said the Congress leader had visited the State to atone the sins committed by his party for last 65 years. Terming the Dogra certificate an important issue, he said it should be restored to its original format and original form.
On the basis of these certificate, the Dogra youth of Jammu were recruited in Army and since then they have been deprived of this opportunity, he added.
He said that he has taken up the issue regarding the recruitment of the border people in paramilitary forces with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Home Minister has sought the documents to ascertain that when the last recruitment in border areas had taken place so that the recruitment process can be expedited. Dr Singh said that the previous Congress regime had said that the recruitment in paramilitary forces had taken place in border belt during its regime so the Home Ministry had sought the documents.
Strongly advocating for granting the reservation benefits to the people living along IB on the pattern of the LoC people, Dr Singh said that there no discrimination in this regard.
Dr Singh said that over 250 pucca bunkers will be established along Hiranagar border in first phase to provide shelter to border denizens during the shelling. This will relieve the border people of their problems to a great extent.
He said the BSF is on the job and it will take the assistance of civil administration in this regard also.
Dr Singh said that four bridges on various nullahs will also be constructed in Kathua and Hirangar border belt. The tenders for the same have been called and the work will start in January next year, he added.
While, highly supporting the cause of West Pakistan refugees who have been deprived of citizenship rights in J&K for the last 67 years, he termed it a genuine issue which needs to be settled on the basis of humanity. He said it is irony that these refugees were deprived of citizenship rights in J&K while Inder Kumar Gujral and Dr Manmohan Singh who too were the West Pakistan refugees rose to the level of Prime Ministers of India. This is a great anomaly which should be rectified, he added.
He said the Union Home Ministry on his persistent insistence has already issued order for doubling the honorarium of VDC members and SPOs but the State Government is not implementing the order due to shortage of funds. He suggested that the State Government should debit the funds to the Central package and double the honorarium of VDCs and SPOs.
Dr Jitendra Singh also said that Hiranagar being a land of warriors will soon have a war memorial on pattern of Reasi. The work on Reasi war memorial will be started soon, he added.
He said Rs five crore have been earmarked as crop compensation for compensation for border people and the amount is lying with DC Kathua who assured him that the process of providing the compensation will be taken up in hand soon.
Regarding allotment of five marlas of land to border people in Hiranagar belt he said the process in this regard will also be started soon as the Deputy Commissioner Kathua has given an assurance to him in this regard.
Dr Singh, while stressing on promotion of tourism said that the State Government should take steps for exposing the entire IB circuit to tourism. Paying tributes to border people, he said the people living on borders are in real senses the Army on whom the entire nation feels proud of. The sacrifices and valour of border people is remarkable, he added.
Earlier, the MLAs of Kathua, Rajiv Jasrotia and Hiranagar, Kuldeep Kumar and district president Kathua BJP advocate Vijay Sharma also addressed the gathering.
Both the MLAs highlighted the plight of border people and demanded that their problems be settled on war footing basis.
Follow our WhatsApp channel