Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 18: The delayed project of bunkers construction along the International Border and the Line of Control in five districts of Jammu region has annoyed the border residents as they alleged that due to regular ceasefire violations by the Pakistan, they are living under the shade of fear psychosis and their lives under threat.
The Government of India had announced 10,000 bunkers in Jammu region two years back and the project was supposed to be completed by April 2019 but it got delayed and only 3,000 to 3,500 bunkers are ready in all the five bordering districts of the region.
"Two years are on but the bunkers project is yet to be completed," sources said.
They said that out of total 10,000 bunkers, around 3,000 to 3,500 are ready and rest are under construction.
"There are many reasons responsible for the delay in completion of the project," sources said and added that the government claimed that the entire project will be finished by 2020 ending and in Jammu district, as many as allotted number of bunkers will be completed by November this year.
The bunkers are being constructed in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts along International Border and in Rajouri, Poonch districts along the Line of Control.
"Regular ceasefire violations by the Pakistan, non acquisition of land at some places, non release of funds to the executing agencies are among some of the major reasons behind delay in project," sources added.
However, the border residents have expressed annoyance over delay as they claimed that life along borders is not peaceful and they are always scared of shelling from across the border.
As per official sources, in Jammu, 1,200 bunkers are to be made but around 700 are ready and the district administration has claimed of competing them by November this year.
In Kathua, 1976 are to be made but only 700 are ready. Due to some technical error in the designs of the bunkers, delayed the project, they added.
As per Kathua administration, by July this year, as many as 918 individual and 70 community bunkers are completed along the International Border. It was informed that a total of 2,126 bunkers are being constructed including 1956 individual and 170 community bunkers. Of these, 918 individual bunkers and 70 community bunkers have been completed official spokesman.
In Samba, 1,900 are to being made and out of them 1,000 are ready, sources said and added that due to non availability of land in many households, the construction project delayed and the locals appealed the government to allot land for bunkers.
In Rajouri, out of 2,806 only 914 are ready, they added and said that the project was handed over to two executing agencies, due to which, the project delayed besides, inclement weather conditions.
In Poonch, out of total 375 bunkers, only 150 are ready as the work was affected many times due to bad weather and heavy shelling by the Pakistan.
"The wok on construction of bunkers is in full swing and the task will soon be accomplished," Sanjeev Verma, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu here told .
He added that in Jammu, bunkers will be completed by ending year while the target of completing the project will be achieved by 2020. |
