Have increased compensation for citizens killed in ceasefire violations to Rs. 5 lakh: Rajnath

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday informed that the government has increased the compensation for Indian citizens killed in ceasefire violations from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh.

"Those who suffer more than 50% disability due to ceasefire violations will receive Rs 5 lakh as compensation," the Home Minister said while addressing a crowd at Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh also said that he has instructed authorities to have 60 percent recruitment from people at border areas for Indian Reserve Battalion 5 in Jammu Kashmir.

He also said that the biggest strategic asset of any nation is the people, who live near border area.

"This is India is not the weak India it used to be, it has not become a powerful country, the Home Minister said.

Earlier in the day, he said that due to cost escalation, the Prime Minister's Development Package (PMDP) for Jammu and Kashmir is set to cross more Rs. 1 lakh crore.

The Centre has till now disbursed a total of Rs. 62,599 crores to Jammu and Kashmir under the PMDP for the state.

Earlier, Singh reviewed the progress of the implementation of PMDP project at a meeting which was attended by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, state chief secretary B.B. Vyas and officials from his ministry in Srinagar.

Rajnath, who is on a four-day visit to the state, reiterated his commitment to meet every stakeholder in Jammu and Kashmir and resolve long-standing issues faced by the people of the state.

He also appealed to tourists to come visit Kashmir and businesses to invest in the region.