Recommendations sent, hope Union Home Ministry will approve soon: Dy CM
Idrees Bukhtiyar
Srinagar, May 20: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday said it has submitted recommendations to the centre for the construction of more bunkers in villages along the Line of Control (LoC), expressing hope that the Union Home Ministry will approve the proposal.
Speaking to reporters during his official visit to Uri, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary said the border residents have made immense sacrifices over the years and deserve better protection and facilities.
“Those recommendations sent by the J&K government for the construction of bunkers in the border villages, I hope Union Home Minister Amit Shah will sanction them soon so that the people living along the borders can protect their lives as well as their livestock,” Choudhary said.
He clarified that the construction of bunkers along LoC villages is funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). “Earlier too, bunkers were constructed through MHA funding and the same process will continue now as well,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said while several bunkers have already been constructed in border areas, payments for some of them are still pending. He added that more bunkers are urgently required in vulnerable villages affected by cross-border shelling.
“Border residents have always kept the Indian flag flying high. They have stood shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers and made immense sacrifices for the country. Many people have lost their lives, limbs and livestock due to shelling. I can understand their pain and suffering,” he said.
Choudhary said the people living in border areas have not received the rights and facilities they truly deserve despite their sacrifices. He assured that the government is committed to addressing their concerns and strengthening infrastructure in these areas.
The Deputy Chief Minister also credited senior National Conference leader Mohammad Shafi Uri for the development witnessed in Uri over the years.