Construction of bunkers along Indo-Pak border underway: Jitendra Singh

Jitendra Singh said over eight acres of land has been identified in Hiranagar tehsil to be distributed among those border families who migrate during firing and shelling at the border.

Jammu, Dec 27: Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said the construction of bunkers along the India-Pakistan border was underway.

"The work for constructing bunkers for the border residents as well as the process to distribute five marlas of land among the border families are in progress and every endeavour shall be made to protect their lives," he told the gathering at a function in Kathua.

Singh said over eight acres of land has been identified in Hiranagar tehsil for the five-marla plot to be distributed among those border families who migrate during firing and shelling at the border. He added that the ex-gratia for victims of firing at the border has been increased to Rs 5 lakh, at par with militancy-related victims.

The Union minister hailed the Rs-2,000 crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the PoK refugees as a "landmark decision" and added that Rs 5 lakh per family was not the final award as said by the prime minister. He said the Centre had given a "special thrust" on improving road connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir for which a whopping Rs 3,600 crore has been sanctioned for the 10th stage of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) which, he said, was an "all-time high".

Under the scheme, a total of 73 roads will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 405 crore in Kathua district, he added. Singh said Kathua will be developed as a model district for which several key projects have been taken up.

PTI