Police posts, pickets in border areas to also get facility
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 3: Keeping in view increased demand from the border dwellers, the Governor’s Administration has in principle agreed to approach Union Ministry of Home Affairs for grant of 10,000 more bunkers under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme. Moreover, police posts and pickets in the immediate vicinity of borders will also get this facility so that their functioning doesn’t get hampered during the shelling and firing by the hostile neighbour.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in a meeting chaired by Governor Satya Pal Malik three days back to review progress on construction of already sanctioned bunkers, it was revealed by the officers that demand for construction of more bunkers in the border areas has been received from almost all the border districts.
“People are preferring individual bunkers over community bunkers on various grounds and have made requests to the State administration through different quarters particularly Deputy Commissioners of border districts regarding sanction of more bunkers”, sources said quoting the point raised by the officers in the meeting.
They further informed that people have found individual bunkers more convenient as the same can be reached within no time in case of shelling and firing from across the border as compared to community bunkers, which are generally situated at a centralized location for meeting the requirement of as many as possible people.
After discussion on this aspect, Governor Satya Pal Malik and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam issued directions to the concerned agencies for completion of work on already sanctioned bunkers in the shortest possible time. It was agreed in principle in the meeting that a proposal will be prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs for sanction of around 10,000 more bunkers particularly the individual ones for the border dwellers, sources informed.
“The proposal will be submitted to the MHA only when the already sanctioned bunkers will be constructed within next few months”, sources further said, adding “the decision would go a long way in protecting lives of the border residents in the event of shelling and firing from across the border by Pakistani Rangers”.
It is pertinent to mention here that 13029 individual and 1431 community bunkers have already been sanctioned for Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts at a cost of Rs 415.75 crore under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.
The construction of bunkers for police posts and pickets in the immediate vicinity of borders was also deliberated upon in the meeting and it was agreed in principle that a detailed proposal in this regard would be obtained from the Home Department on the basis of actual requirement, sources further said.
It has been felt that some police posts and pickets also come under the firing and shelling from across the border and facility of bunkers would not only help in ensuring safety of the police personnel but also facilitate in their smooth functioning.
About already sanctioned bunkers, sources said, “substantial progress has been made in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts while as the work in Rajouri and Poonch districts is picking up momentum gradually”.
It has also been decided that the bunkers which have already been allotted will get completed by the Public Works Department while as un-allotted and un-tendered works will now be completed through Rural Engineering Wing of the Rural Development Department.
Keeping in view the burden of executing several Centrally Sponsored Schemes on the Public Works and Rural Development Departments the Government should consider allotting construction of bunkers to the Police Housing Corporation, which is not much burdened, sources stressed.
“Since funds for construction of bunkers are released under Security Related Expenditure scheme, ensuring works through this Corporation would help the Home Department on various important aspects like obtaining Utilization Certificates and furnishing timely information to the Ministry of Home Affairs”, they further said, adding by doing so the Government can even continue with the process of overall monitoring through the respective Deputy Commissioners.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
