Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Oct 28: Though the continuous shelling by Pakistan for over two months on International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) has again generated a demand for allotment of land to border people in safe areas, there is no such proposal before the Government in this regard as yet.
According to highly placed official sources, the demand has surfaced again after the firing from across the border for over last two months with Pakistan making an open violation of cease fire agreement made with India in 2003 which also resulted in migration of people from some border villages in Hiranagar belt of Kathua district.
Earlier during the border tension in 2002 when thousands of people along IB in Akhnoor sector of Jammu district were uprooted and forced to migrate for over two years to safer places in the area the Government had decided to allot five marlas of land to the people living near IB in safer areas.
Sources said over 6000 plots of 30feet by 50 feet were allotted to these people in Naiwal and Palwa area of Akhnoor tehsil besides payment of Rs 50,000 per family by Government after sanctioning a package of Rs 78 crore. However, only 250 to 300 families constructed their houses as the majority of people after the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan in 2003 and return of normalcy on IB and LoC returned to their native villages and did not construct the houses on the allotted land.
After the violation of cease fire agreement by Pakistan over two months back and continuous shelling on IB and LoC, it created fear psychosis among the border people as they do not know which shell will hit them. This gave rise to the demand again with leaders of almost all opposition parities, social organizations, NGOs and Border Union demanding allotment of land to border people in safer places.
Admitting that the demand has gained momentum after Pak resorted to shelling on IB and LoC in violation of cease fire, official sources, however, said that there is no such proposal before the Government for allotment of land to border people at safer places.
The increasing shelling especially during night hours spelled a doom for them as the people living along IB passed sleepless nights and the demand for allotment of five marlas of land resurfaced in the border belt spread over 180 kilometres from Lakhanpur in Kathua district to Khour in Akhnoor teshil of Jammu district.
According to Pishori Lal a resident of Panjore, a border village in Kanachak Sector of Jammu district, the border people have been uprooted many times since partition in 1947 and they always face uncertainty whenever there is tension on borders. “The Government should settle us in safer areas so that we are relieved of migration after the interval of every 10 to 15 years,” he added.
The Government has failed to find an everlasting solution to problems of border people who are defending the frontiers shoulder to shoulder with BSF and Army, said Bharat Bushan, president Border Union and Sarpanch Bablia Panchayat in Hiranagar border belt.
He said during last time border shelling and mass migration of people from Akhnoor and Hiranagar belt in 2001-02, the Government had assured to allot 5 to 10 marlas of land to border people in safer places along the National Highway in Kandi belt by constructing colonies for them, but this plan was later given up after normalization of situation on border in 2003.
At that time the then DC Kathua, B D Sharma and tehsildar had also identified land in Hiranagar belt along National Highway at four -five places but much to the displeasure of border people later the plan was shelved completely, he added.
Bushan said the issue was also taken up with Union Home Minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde in New Delhi in March this year by a delegation of border people and earlier it was also taken up with the then Deputy Prime Minister, L K Advani as well as Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad.
He said 20,357 kanals of land out of 47,000 Kanals lying on IB across fence is lying in Hiranagar tehsil only and this land is not being cultivated since 2001.
MLA Suchetgarh, Sham Choudhary said that Government should find a solution and corner Pakistan for violating the ceasefire and shelling the border villages. The Government should also construct bunkers in border villages where the people can take refugee during shelling and announce a special package for border people who have been uprooted umpteen times since 1947, he added.
However justifying the demand of border people, Minister of PHE, Irrigation &Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma said that in view of the shelling form across the border the people living along IB and LoC be provided temporary shelter.
He said the tension on borders will not end till a proper democratic sense prevails in Pak Government and the tension on border will continue.
He said that the Government had sanctioned a package of Rs 78 crore for the settlement of border people of Akhnoor belt in 2001 and allotted over 6000 plots besides providing a relief of Rs 50,000 to each family.
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