Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 16: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has directed high level team of the MHA and para-military forces to visit Jammu and Kashmir soon for on spot assessment of the situation to initiate some of the measures at the earliest, which have been pending for long including construction of community bunkers for protection of civilians following inputs that Pakistan could resort to mischief during the winter.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the joint team of MHA and para-military forces would jointly visit the International Border (IB) to assess operation preparedness of the security forces and take decision on the measures to help civilians at the earliest following reports that no headway has been made on series of initiatives decided earlier by the MHA in consultations with the State Government.
The joint team of MHA and para-military forces, mainly the BSF, would visit the border areas and apart from discussing security situation with the officials will also inter-act with the border dwellers and civil administration to know progress on the works and the ways through which the MHA can help in the measures to protect civilians from the Pakistan shelling and firing.
“The official team would report back to the Union Home Minister after which the requisite steps would be taken to help the people, who had been suffering a lot due to ceasefire violations from Pakistan side, which have stopped for the time being after the Sector Commander level meeting between the two sides ,” sources said but added that the Intelligence agencies have sounded that Pakistan can’t be trusted as it could resort to mischief anytime and protection of the civilians must be ensured in such a situation.
Sources said the major decisions taken by the MHA in consultations with representatives of the State Government included construction of over 200 community bunkers along the International Border, allotment of land to civilians in safer areas and giving training to them to survive from sudden shelling and firing from Pakistan side.
Sources said the BSF had, on its part, identified the areas and prepared designs of the community bunkers for construction on the IB and forwarded them to its headquarters in New Delhi, which have subsequently submitted them to the MHA for immediate approval.
Sources said since construction of bunkers was completely MHA funded project, the construction work can be taken up only after the Union Home Ministry approved the funds.
“There were already 12 such bunkers, which had been constructed long back in some areas on the IB but they lacked desired facilities like adequate ventilation, bathrooms, regular water supply, cooking material etc so that the people could stay there for longer period. However, the proposed bunkers would have all such facilities,” sources said.
They added that most of the work on construction of bunkers has been carried out by the BSF and rest would be decided by the MHA and the State Government in the next few days after the joint team submits its report after visiting the border areas.
Similarly, sources said, other issues for safety of the border dwellers would be discussed and sorted out after the visit of the MHA and para-military officials’ team to the border areas, which was likely to take place very shortly.
According to sources, the Union Home Ministry was likely to formally announce decision in favour of the border dwellers very shortly following reports that despite assuring maintenance of peace earlier in the Director General level talks between BSF and Rangers in September in New Delhi followed by the Sector Commander level talks at Octroi Post in Suchetgarh sector in October, Pakistan can’t be trusted as it could resort to mischief anytime.
“In view of this, the Central Government in consultations with the State Government and the border guards wanted to take the decisions shortly to avert civilian casualties during any kind of shelling and firing,” sources said.
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