Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 22: In another people friendly gesture, Army would tomorrow hand over vast chunk of land, which has been de-mined in forward village of Morha Kampla in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district to the civil administration for further handing it over to the civilians, whom the land belonged.
On April 22, Army had handed over several kanals of land to the civilians after conducting de-mining operations in the same Lam area of Nowshera sector.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Army had undertaken complete de-mining operations in huge portion of land at Morha Kampla, a village falling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector and after conducting sanitizing operations found it fit for handing over back to civil administration and civilians.
“The land will be handed over to the civil administration by General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Ace of Spades Division, headquartered at Rajouri Major General DA Chaturvedi to the civil administration tomorrow,” sources said, adding that the land will then be returned to civilians after proper identification.
It took Army several days to de-mine the land completely before declaring it fully fit for restoration to civil administration and civilians. The de-mining operations were conducted by the Engineering Regiment of the Ace of Spades Division, Rajouri.
Noting that return of land was long pending demand of the people after de-mining, sources said it was taken up with the Army by the people and the civil administration. Army pressed its Engineering Regiment into service and de-mined the land before deciding to return it to the civil administration and civilians.
“This will be after several years that the people will be getting their land back as they were unable to cultivate it or even go inside it due to mining. The de-mining efforts of the troops have helped people get back their land,” they said.
On April 22, the Army had de-mined vast chunk of land and restored it to the civilians in same Lam sector.
Sources said though the present de-mining operation were confined to Lam area of Nowshera sector, the Army would gradually expand the operations to other areas on LoC in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and restore the land to civil administration and people.
Sources said Army wants civilians to benefit from peace prevailing along the LoC by cultivating their land and graze their cattle. However, this would be possible only if the forward areas were de-mined, they added.
Several forward areas of the LoC were mined by the troops at the height of ‘Operation Parakaram’ in the wake of escalated tensions between India and Pakistan when Pakistan-backed militants had carried out attack on the Parliament. As the tensions had eased, some of the areas were de-mined while others remained mined.
A number of security personnel, their porters, civilians and their cattle have suffered casualties, both fatal and non-fatal due to mine explosions in forward areas along the LoC. These mines explode when human beings or animals stepped over them.
“As peace was now prevailing along the LoC in the two border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in the aftermath of September 21, 2015 Brigade Commander level meeting barring day of shelling in Shahpur sector of Poonch district in April, the villagers have pleaded before the Army and the civil administration for de-mining of their fields to help them cultivate their land along the LoC,” sources said.
The people in Lam sub sector of Nowshera in Rajouri district have strongly appreciated the Army for acceding to their request and de-mining their land, which would help them immensely.
According to sources, the people living close to other forward villages in Rajouri and Poonch districts were also waiting for de-mining of their land and the Army was likely to de-mine more land shortly to help the civilians.
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