Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 3: The State Government with financial assistance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to construct 20125 Community Type Bunkers (CTBs) in border district of Jammu division, instead of allotting 5 marlas of land to families who are the worst hit during shelling from across the border.
However, the decision to construct bunkers instead of allotting land was taken as shifting of population to another place would lead to depopulation of border areas which would not be in the states or national interest.
A question was asked in the Legislative Assembly by Kamal Verma of National Conference (NC) Member from Bishnah constituency, who wanted to know what action has so far been taken to provide 5 marlas of land to each of the families, residing on the International Border (IB) in the constituency as committed by the Government.
The reply by Minister incharge Home, and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that pursuant to the recommendations made by the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee (DRPSC), the MHA sought a proposal from the State Government for providing financial support for provision of alternate safe shelters to the inhabitants of border areas, on the analogy of financial support provided earlier for alternate secured shelters at safer locations (not exceeding 5 marlas of land per family) for the inhabitants residing on the Indian side on Line of Control (LoC) along the Pallanwalan sector.
The reply said that “therefore a resolution was passed by the State Legislative Council (LC) for allotment of five marlas of land to the persons living near IB and LoC.”
However, pursuant to the announcement made by the Chief Minister during the visit to the border areas of Jammu region, and subsequent discussion MHA, it was felt that construction of community type bunkers would be safer than providing land for alternative shelter at safer places, as it would lead to depopulation of border areas which would not be in the State and national interest, the reply said.
The Chief Minister said accordingly a proposal was submitted to the MHA for construction of 20125 bunkers, involving an amount of Rs 1006.25 crores in the border districts of Jammu division.
The reply said that the MHA has approved construction of 60 concrete community type bunkers in the border blocks of district Jammu for an amount of Rs300 lakh as a pilot project. Work on construction on these bunkers is in progress, the reply said.
The Chief Minister said that no permanent shelter has been constructed for shifting of border population at the time of cross border firing and shelling.
However, in the event of border shelling and firing, the inhabitants of the border villages are shifted to safer locations in Government buildings and private accommodations where they are provided all basic amenities till restoration of normalcy on the borders.
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