Demand for individual bunkers up as truce violations on rise

QUOTE: “Our house has been completely damaged in intensive shelling by Pakistan and we had to travel several kilometres to take shelter in a community bunker. Some of our family members are still behind. We are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing us community bunkers, but we urge him to construct individual bunkers for every family so that the safety of people at the time of shelling is taken care of,” Shahpur resident

QUOTE: “We are constructing both individual as well as community-based bunkers in Poonch. Of this, 688 are community bunkers and 700 are individual bunkers, but the people have been demanding more individual bunkers so we have sent a proposal of 4,700 Individual bunkers for Poonch.” Rahul Yadav, Poonch DC

BOX: 14k bunkers okayed in 2017

In December 2017, the Centre had sanctioned Rs 415.73 crore to the J&K Government for the construction of 14,460 bunkers, including 1,431 community bunkers and 13,029 individual bunkers, in the border areas of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts for the border residents facing Pakistani shelling.

Ranjit Thakur

Jammu, February 27

The demand for the construction of individual bunkers for the safety of border dwellers has gained momentum with increased ceasefire violations and shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

On Tuesday, two civilians were injured when the Pakistan army shelled forward posts and civilian areas along the LoC in the Kirni, Qasba and Shahpura areas along the LoC in Poonch district.

Uprooted from their homes due to firing by the Pakistan army in Shahpur, the people of border areas, who live in community bunkers, have now demanded that the government construct individual bunkers for their safety.

“Our house has been completely damaged in intensive shelling by Pakistan and we had to travel several kilometres to take shelter in a community bunker. Some of our family members are still behind. We are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing us community bunkers, but we urge him to construct individual bunkers for every family so that the safety of people at the time of shelling is taken care of,” said a resident of Shahpur village.

“The firing can trigger anytime from the Pakistan side. It is a routine affair and they deliberately target civilian areas to cause more damage. Though the government has constructed some bunkers in Shahpur, we want more individual bunkers for our safety,” said another resident from Shahpur.

In December 2017, the Centre had sanctioned Rs 415.73 crore to the J&K Government for the construction of 14,460 bunkers, including 1,431 community bunkers and 13,029 individual bunkers, in the border areas of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts for the border residents facing Pakistani shelling.

Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Rahul Yadav said: “We are constructing both individual as well as community-based bunkers in Poonch. Of this, 688 are community bunkers and 700 are individual bunkers, but the people have been demanding more individual bunkers so we have sent a proposal of 4,700 Individual bunkers for Poonch.”

“We have so far completed around 700 bunkers and are hopeful of completing all 1,300 bunkers by March this year,” Yadav said.

Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma recently directed all Deputy Commissioners of the border districts and executing agencies to expedite the pace of work on the bunkers and complete them on time.