‘Critics must visit bunkers before drawing conclusions’
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Aug 29: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the Government was implying tunnel detection technology while considering further measures to check the cross border infiltration, which is one of the major defence related challenges before the country.
“Even though there is effective border fencing in place and thermal detection is also carried out, the security forces have come across underground tunnels being used by infiltrators from across the border,” he said while addressing as chief guest in a function jointly organized by Seema Jagran Manch and Sewa Bharti Jammu Kashmir, here today.
The Union Minister informed that the Government was implying tunnel detection technology to check the infiltrators, who were found using tunnels to cross over side by dodging the border guards. Click here to watch video
“I personally took up the issue with military commanders who informed me that the infiltrators were dodging border guards by using tunnels and the new technology would greatly to check the cross border infiltration,” he added.
Maintaining that the Government and defence forces were doing their best to protect the borders, Dr Jitendra Singh stressed that equally important was to prepare and protect the border dwellers who are there to face every challenge.
“When we talk of border infiltration and cross border terrorism, we need to sit together and think what we should do for these people, who are living along the borders and facing all the challenges,” he said and added that it was Modi Government which initiated a series of steps for welfare of these people, such as construction of family bunkers, roads, granting reservation to people residing along International Border etc.
“Those at the helm of affairs earlier than this Government, did nothing for these people and even discriminated between border dwellers in the name of LoC and IB for the vote bank politics,” said Dr Jitendra Singh while describing exclusion of IB residents from the benefit of reservation as human injustice.
In hard hitting words, Union Minister said that the critics who say nothing has been done by the Modi Government must visit the family bunkers built along the borders before arriving at conclusions sitting in their drawing rooms.
“The family bunkers with all the amenities, almost equivalent to a one – room residential flat, have been constructed for a long stay and shelter in the event of border firing, but unfortunately the self-styled critics have no time to visit the same,” he added.
The Union Minister also suggested military service for eligible citizens of the country to understand the defence related challenges. “Like in foreign countries, people in India should also serve Army for at least two years so that they can better understand the sacrifices of our defence forces and challenges they are facing on borders,” he said.
On the occasion, CMD NHPC A K Singh and All India Organizing Secretary of Sewa Bharti, Sudhir Kumar and All India Assistant Organizing Secretary of Seema Jagran Manch, Murlidhar also spoke.
Earlier, in another function held at Reasi this morning, organized by “Saksham”, a social organization dedicated to the service of the physically challenged people, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it was the sensitive approach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave the nomenclature “Divyang” because the approach of the Government is to ensure empowerment of weaker sections along with their appropriate respect and esteem in the society.
He said, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), had in recent times taken several important decisions in this regard, which include increase in the reservation quota of jobs for Divyangs including Acid Attack Victims and certain other categories for entitlement to jobs as Divyangs etc.
Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve that this Government was committed to those sections of society, which were left out of priority by the earlier regimes, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Department of Pensions, which is also under him, has relaxed the Family Pension rules for a divorced daughter and elderly pensioners.
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