 S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA (Uri), Dec 26: Despite knowing the miserable conditions of border residents, government has failed in their promises and so for underground or community bunkers whatsoever were not constructed in north Kashmir, while as two people lost their lives including one army jawan in Uri area of Baramulla district on Dec 25.
According to sources that, on the intervening night of Dec 25, there was a ceasefire violation from the other side of Line of Control (LoC) in Hajipeer and Rampur sector of Uri.
Bashir Ahmad of Churunda telephoned early times and said that, in the afternoon of Dec 25, there was an artillery and mortar shelling in Hajipeer and Rampur sector of Uri.
People went helter-skelter to save their families, and they ran for the safety behind the mountains and steep rocks, while as this has become order of the day in Uri sector of Baramulla district, said a local resident.
There are reports that in the Ceasefire Violation (CfV), two people lost their lives including an Army officer of 18 Military Light Infantry Regiment (MLIR) namely Brijesh Kataria, and a local woman who was later identified as Naseema Begum w/o Mohammad Ikhlas of Churunda village, while as three civilians were also injured due to Pak shelling.
Another local resident of Silikote said that, there was such a chaos and confusion that, people were shifting the families in the government buildings as region of terror was witnessed in the whole area, while as during the firing the injured were shifted to the nearby hospital for further treatment.
Dr Sijad of Uri while speaking to media said that, it is very unfortunate that, the underground bunkers have not been constructed yet for the border residents of Uri.
According to him, it is learnt that 7 lakh rupees have been released for the construction of community bunkers in convergence with MGNREGA, whereas at least one bunker needs around 4 lakh rupees and we need about 50 such bunkers.
There are almost twenty villages that are stationed near the zero line that remains on threat, including Silikote, Churunda, Kamalkote, Bazgran, Nawarounda, Gowalta, Odoosa Chakra, Balkote Shadra, Sultandaki, Shadra Jabrda, Bandi Surayee, Dardkote, Salamabad Gowalta and other villages, said Dr Sijad Ahmad.
He said that, there is no question that community bunkers can be constructed with just over rupees seven lakh only, we were promised that underground bunkers will be constructed for the border residents, but government has failed in doing so.
It is pertinent to mention that, government of India has provided some temporary underground bunkers in some of the border villages of Jammu and Kashmir, including Rajouri and Samba, while no such initiative was taken for north Kashmir districts. |
