Centre puts on hold embankment project

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 8

The Centre has put on hold the much-publicised project to construct the 135-foot-wide and 179-km-long composite bund along the International Border in three districts of Jammu province.

In a written reply, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is also in charge of the Home Department, today told the Legislative Assembly that the BSF authorities had placed indent for the acquisition of land for the construction of composite bund all along the border with Pakistan. Initially, the authorities had taken three districts involving 118 villages of Jammu, Samba and Kathua for an area measuring 13,339 kanals and 17 marlas.

The Chief Minister informed that the process for acquisition of land for the embankment was put on hold as per the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, on June 9, 2016. She said the acquisition of land for 44-foot-wide border fencing instead of 135 feet was still going on.

Replying to a query on the compensation being paid to the farmers whose land has been acquired, the Chief Minister said that in cases where the final award has been issued and compensation has been paid, the said land will be kept as “land bank” of the ministry.

It was also informed to the House that the Union Home Ministry has also conveyed its approval for the construction/functioning of 90 border outposts along the International Border of Jammu. The process for the acquisition of land for the establishment of outposts along the Indo-Pak border areas was also initiated.

For the border outposts, the J&K government has received Rs 3,66,20,666 out of which Rs 2,12,87,111 has been disbursed among the farmers whose land was acquired. To protect lives and properties of the International Border dwellers, the Union Government in 2011 had approved the construction of 179-km composite bund at an estimated cost of Rs 341 crore.

In January, 13 persons, including seven civilians, had lost their lives due to unprovoked firing from across the border on the International Border. From January 1 to February 8, nine civilians, nine soldiers and three BSF men have lost their lives.