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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 3

To protect civilians living in border areas of Jammu, where 16 civilians were killed and another 71 injured in 222 incidents of cross-border shelling and firing by Pakistan in 2015, the Union Ministry of Home affairs has approved the construction of 60 community bunkers under a pilot project.This was revealed today by the J&K Government in the state Assembly. A pilot project worth Rs 300 lakh has been sanctioned for the purpose and the work on the concrete community bunkers is already in progress.Legislator Gagan Bhagat in his question had sought information and the status of the proposal with regard to the allotment of “5 marla plots” to border residents to help them escape the firing and shelling by the Pakistani troops from across the border.In a written reply by the Chief Minister, who also holds the charge of state Home Affairs, the Lower House was today informed that pursuant to the recommendations by the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee, the Ministry of Home Affairs had sought a proposal from the state government for providing financial support for provision of alternative safe shelters to the inhabitants of border areas of Jammu.Accordingly, a resolution was passed by the State Legislative Council on April 9, 2015, for allotment of 5 marlas to the persons living near the international border and the Line of Control in J&K.However, during subsequent discussions with the MHA, it was felt that the construction of community bunkers would be safer than providing land for alternative shelters at safer places as it would have lead to depopulation of the border areas, which would not be in the interest of the state and the nation, the reply further revealed.“Accordingly, a proposal was submitted to the MHA for construction of 20,125 community bunkers for an amount of Rs 1006.25 core in the border districts of the Jammu division,” the Chief Minister stated in her written reply.“The MHA has approved the construction of 60 concrete community-type bunkers in border blocks of Jammu district for an amount of Rs 300 lakh as a pilot project. The work on the construction of these bunkers is in progress,” the reply read.