Construction of ‘Seema Bhawans’

Border dwellers as we know, are the worst sufferers of Pakistani hostilities from across the border from time to time. Though some measures  have been taken to mitigate their woes periodically, yet they have proved to be proverbial peanuts   necessitating    doing something more in order to provide some succor to these sufferers of Pakistani shelling and firing from across the borders. The hostilities of the belligerent neighbour have the direct bearing on their normal life and day to day activities in the sense they have to undergo dislocations and the resultant scurrying to find safer places during Pakistani attacks. Such safer places, whether provided by the District Administration or arranged by the border dwellers themselves, very often, lack the basic facilities. Looking to the nature of such crisis which takes place unexpectedly, taking of some cogent measures only could address the problem which has, of late, been to a larger extent decided to be done.
It is heartening to note that the Central Government, understanding the gravity of the situation, has taken some concrete steps and cleared the proposal for construction of 25 to 30 “Seema Bhawans” in five border districts of Jammu region which could lessen and mitigate the problems of the affected border dwellers on account of Pakistani shelling and other hostilities. The Central Government will bear entire cost of the construction and the State Government has only to facilitate the construction.
To start with, five to six Bhawans shall be constructed in every district and we have learnt that their number considered sufficient at the moment, however, could go up depending upon the requirement, as and when taking place.  These Bhawans have been approved for Jammu district, Samba and Kathua districts as also Rajouri and Poonch districts. Out of these, Rajouri and Poonch districts are on the Line of Actual Control while rest of these Bhawans are falling along the International Border. These Bhawans shall have adequate capacity to accommodate 1000 people at a time. These constructions shall be equipped with large halls, class rooms, medical rooms, warder rooms, dining hall, 20 toilets and 20 board rooms.
Accordingly, the Administration of these districts of Jammu shall have to identify the land required for such construction. Needless to add, it has been very often found that considerable time is taken in identification of land used by Government in cases like the one under reference, as the paper formalities, finalizing the cost of land and payments etc, and for completion of other formalities which in the instant case, can be avoided by quick decision making processes.
As expected and required, such Bhawans shall be constructed at such locations which are safe from any Pakistani shelling and firing etc . This idea is mulled because otherwise the very purpose of such construction shall get defeated. Such Bhawans , on the other hand, cannot be quite far away too from the borders as shifting into them in emergency would be difficult. It may be noted that these Bhawans will not be any substitute for the existing and proposed other facilities but in addition to them. They are community and individual bunkers which already separately stand approved by the Central Government at a cost of Rs.413.5 crore. The move of the Central Government is commendable as the difficulties of our border dwellers are now expected to get attenuated to a larger extent.

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