Jammu: The Centre has sanctioned the construction of over 14,000 community and individual bunkers along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) for border residents facing Pakistani shelling in Jammu division.
While 7,298 bunkers would be constructed along the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri, 7,162 underground bunkers would be constructed along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts. The total cost of the 14,460 bunkers would be Rs 415.73 crore, officials said.
A total of 13,029 individual bunkers and 1431 community bunkers are being constructed, they said, adding that the capacity of the 160 square feet individual bunker will be eight people, and that of the 800 square feet community bunker will be 40 people.
The officials said 4,918 individual and 372 community bunkers would be constructed in Rajouri, and 3,076 individual and 243 community bunkers would come up in Kathua district.
A total of 688 community and 1,320 individual bunkers would be constructed in Poonch, while Jammu would get 1,200 individual and 120 community bunkers. In Samba district, 2,515 individual and eight community bunkers would be constructed, they said.
India shares a 3,323km long border with Pakistan, of which 221km of the IB and 740km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.
As many as 35 people - 19 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four BSF personnel - were killed in ceasefire violations by Pakistan last year alone.
Senior BJP leader and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma welcomed the move by the Centre. "It is indeed a matter of joy and satisfaction for the people of border villages that the Centre has sanctioned construction of bunkers and approved relief and compensation for various property and livestock losses due to cross-border firing," Sharma said.
The MP expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for acceding to the demands of people living in border villages.
(With PTI inputs)
Comments
0 comment