Many border residents stay put

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 30

Despite the government order that villages within 10 km of the border with Pakistan be evacuated, most residents of Punjab's border belt have chosen to stay put. Farmers say their paddy crop is at the harvesting stage and they will not move out.

Residents of Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Taran Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka villages, who had moved to houses of kin or to relief camps in schools and other government buildings, have returned to their homes.

However, a large number, mostly women and children, went back to the camps in the evening fearing they could be caught in cross-fire. "People kept moving in and out of the relief camps all day long. We are not forcing anybody to evacuate," said Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal.

Apart from serving food, the government carried out a fumigation drive at the camps to prevent the outbreak of dengue and chikungunya. Punjab Revenue and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia visited the border areas in Amritsar and took stock of the make-shift arrangements for the residents.

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader HS Phoolka criticised the government for "creating unnecessary panic", pointing out that no such evacuation had been ordered in Gujarat and Rajasthan villages sharing border with Pakistan.

Hundreds of villages along the border in Jammu and near the Line of Control in Kashmir are also being evacuated. "Our top priority is to move women and children to government buildings, guest houses and marriage halls," said Nirmal Singh, Deputy CM of Jammu and Kashmir.