Nod for 4,918 bunkers in Rajouri

Tribune News Service

Rajouri, January 5

The government has given approval for the construction of 4,918 individual bunkers and 372 community bunkers along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district. These are in addition to the 100 bunkers that are already under construction in villages along the border.

This was revealed by District Development Commissioner (DDC) Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, who chaired a meeting of border residents and field officers, for initiating a number of developmental works and review of relief and compensation measures.

Prominent representatives from Sunderbani, Nowshera, Doongi and Manjakote areas, situated along the LoC, attended the meeting.

Choudhary said a detailed discussion was held with locals, engineers, Army officers and administrative heads regarding the modalities for the construction of bunkers in a time-bound manner. Each community bunker of 800 sq ft will accommodate 40 persons and individual bunker of 60 sq ft will accommodate eight persons. The project will create a safe accommodation for 54,000 people.

Meanwhile, a proposal submitted by the district administration for coverage of relief and compensation in favour of border residents and migrants as per the norms of State Disaster Relief Fund has been approved. This will give a major relief to border residents who are often forced to migrate due to ceasefire violations.

The DDC said border migrants at relief camps were entitled to Rs 1,800 for adults and Rs 1,325 for children for one month. Moreover, damages for crop loss have been approved at the rate of Rs 37,500 per hectare.

He said for the loss of livestock, Rs 30,000 had been okayed for large animals and Rs 3,000 for small animals. The district administration has accordingly formulated a Rs 5.17-crore proposal for relief camps, compensation, damages and losses.