Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 4: Expressing anguish and concern over intermittent and unprovoked shelling from across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana today called for speedy completion of community bunkers and shelter sheds to ensure safety of life and property of the civilians in the forward areas.
“During these grim times of COVID-19, the people along LoC are braving the brunt of Pakistan shelling that has not only created fear psychosis but also caused enormous sufferings to them”, Rana said in an interaction with party functionaries of the Poonch district via video conferencing, organised and hosted by Provincial Youth National Conference Ajaz Jan this morning.
He expressed solidarity with the border residents, saying their welfare and wellbeing is responsibility of the entire nation for being frontline defence of the country. He stressed the immediate need of completing bunkers and shelter sheds for their lodging in times of exigencies. The element of security could have been infused among them had the promised shelter sheds and community bunkers been completed timely, he said and lamented over non-fulfillment of commitments made in this regard in recent years.
He lauded the valour and fortitude with which the border dwellers were facing the situation, saying they deserved attention and compassion to meet the challenges, which are enormous, keeping in view the damages caused by shelling and loss of life in recent years. He also called for drawing exigency plans in terms of mobile healthcare and evacuation facilities to ensure their transportation to safe areas whenever needed. He also sought a course correction in the strategy for border residents, hoping the administration will realise the gravity of the situation and come forward with a pragmatic roadmap for their safety.
Sharing his assessment of the ground situation in the wake of continuous shelling, the Provincial Youth NC President Ajaz Jan said the people living along the Line of Control were feeling a sense of neglect and deprivation with the administration failing in keeping up the commitments made from time to time.
He aid the administrative apathy has added to the miseries of the people in terms of defunct utility services, scarce stocks of rations, dilapidated roads, non-functional health institutions and so on. While the shelling from across the border on civilian areas is highly condemnable, the lackadaisical attitude of the administration here too is uninspiring, he added.
Prominent among those who participated in the video conferencing included Bagh Hussain Rathore, Acting District President, Ab Ahad Bhatt, Khurshid Shah, Ishaq Khan, Ch soofi Queem, Abdul Ahad Kamrat, Block Presidents, Shamma Shah and others.
Follow our WhatsApp channel