Shadow Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 17:
Gurdeep Singh Saini, General Secretary of AJKPC and Sarpanch of Gandali Panchayat of Block RS Pura today sought immediate attention of government towards the problems being faced by border dwellers on the International Border along with Pakistan.
Singh also expressed his gratefulness towards the union territory administration and particularly DDC Jammu Sushma Chauhan for inclusion of 43 villages in the list of reserved villages of International Borders under SRO 518.
Addressing media persons here, Saini said that a lot remains to be done for the border dwellers who have been facing the brunt of Pakistani shelling since decades now. “While the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has remained a success story, unfortunately, the border dwellers have been deprived of this welfare scheme,” he said and demanded that houses of the border dwellers are made under the scheme.
Singh also said that there is a need to raise more armed forces battalions exclusively from the border areas. “There are special border battalions being raised but this is not sufficient. The constant ceasefire violations over the decades have made the life of the border dwellers hell, leading to lack of education and consequently, lack of employment. The government must conduct a special recruitment drive for youth, especially those belonging from areas 0-6 kms from the border,” he demanded.
Saini also appealed to the government to allow border youth with 8th standard as their education qualification to be allowed to be selected for armed forces, in view of the peculiar situation they face. Singh also said that the Pakistan’s unprovoked fire and pounding of Indian posts and forward hamlets all along the IB leads to panic and killings of several civilians and that the government must fulfil its promise of providing 5 marlas plot for border dwellers. “The life of the border dwellers had been thrown out of gear who were living in a terrifying atmosphere with women and children facing the worst miseries of life. There is severe lack of ambulance and emergency health services on the borders, besides heavy damage to the houses and crops of the local residents. Thus the government must provide 5 marla plots to each family, preferably around 20-25 kms away from the International Border,” he said.
Expressing his happiness over inclusion of 43 villages in the list of reserved villages of International Borders under SRO 518, Singh thanked the government and District Development Commissioners of Jammu, Samba and Kathua. “Many villages were left out in the initial list of reserved villages, despite being near the International Border thus depriving residents of these areas from special reservations. However, the government has now included 43 such villages which are at a distance of 6 kilometers from the border and we are grateful to the administration for this modification,” Singh said.
He hailed the efficient role that District Development Commissioner Jammu Sushma Chauhan played in the process.
“Three villages of my own Panchayat– Gandli, Rathana, and Chak Nanka have been included in the revised list and that has been possible due to DDC Jammu. We shall always remain indebted to her for this move, which will benefit thousands of people of my area,” he said.
