More than 28,400 bunkers will be constructed in Jammu and Kashmir for the safety of residents living along the Indo-Pak border who often face shelling from the Pakistani side, the Home Ministry said today.
The home ministry has approved Rs 415 crore for construction of more than 14,000 bunkers in Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts, an official statement said.
Work on construction of 1,431 community and more than 13,000 individual bunkers will also be commenced from July, it said.
The ministry's decision came in view of 1,252 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since January this year.
A high-level meeting, attended by the top brass of the home ministry, took stock of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir where it was informed that compensation to victims of cross-border firing has been approved at National Disaster Response Force rates and the limit of three milch animals removed for losses incurred upon livestock.
The compensation for livestock may be increased to Rs 50,000 from Rs 30,000 presently, the statement said.
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The meeting expressed satisfaction that there has been a significant drop in stone-pelting incidents since the central government had announced suspension of operations during the month of Ramzan.
The recruitment for the already sanctioned two new battalions of the Jammu and Kashmir Police is expected to be completed by March, 2019, and the home ministry had sanctioned Rs 105 crore in March for this purpose.
These two battalions would be raised from the people living within 0-10 km of International Border or the Line of Control.
Besides, five India Reserve Battalions (IRB) are also being raised in Jammu and Kashmir where altogether 4,690 youths have been recruited and they will join the force next month, the statement said.
In addition, 6,689 SPOs have been appointed out of a total of 10,000 new posts sanctioned. The possibility of filling up of the vacancies of SPOs from border living community may be explored.
The meeting was informed about the progress of relief and rehabilitation programmes related to various sections of migrants and displaced persons. A total of 12,763 beneficiaries of displaced persons of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir have been disbursed Rs 578 crore, the statement said,