Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 27: Expressing anguish and serious concern over the sad plight of border residents, the Jammu Province People Province has urged the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of the State to immediately take concrete steps to mitigate their problems once for all.
As per the statement, team JPPF, headed by its president, District & Session Judge (Retd) Paviter Singh Bhardwaj along with M S Katoch, working president and members of JPPF, undertook an extensive tour of border belt at Arnia falling under tehsil Bishnah to have on the spot assessment of the problem being faced by the residents of border belt, especially those living near zero line. A prominent social worker and border resident Chaudhary Kamal Singh accompanied the JPPF team.
President JPPF interacted with many villagers, who narrated their woes. Main problem being faced by them is scarcity of irrigation water as water of tributaries of Ranbir Canal, which is main source of irrigation in the area, does not reach tail end. “Another problem is that across the bund erected by the defence authorities is depriving off irrigation facilities as kuhls and suas of Ranbir canal cannot cross the bund and the land remains un-irrigated despite of fact that these land holders pay water tax usually called aabiaana. These people are living in pitiable conditions. There is no proper connectivity of roads, no proper arrangements for quality education and health care,” the statement said.
Making fervent appeal to Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister to sort out the problems of the border residents on priority, JPPF demanded that CM should immediately constitute a committee of senior officers of Revenue, Health, Education, PWD, Irrigation and PHE, headed by Divisional Commissioner Jammu, to visit the area and submit a comprehensive proposal for mooting out a permanent solution of miseries being faced by these border residents.
Others JPPF members, who accompanied president, included P R Singh Salathia, Rajesh Thakur, Ajjet Singh Adyal, Suneeta Sharma, Jyoit Sharma, Surrinder Vir, ML Sharma and Prof O P Sharma.