Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 21: Emphasizing the need of prompt services towards affected people, Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand today directed the civil and police officers working in border areas to be stationed in their respective areas and prepare a comprehensive contingency plan to deal with any eventuality due to cross border firing.
Deputy Chief Minister along with Minister for PHE, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Planning, Ajay Sadhotra and Minister of Housing, Raman Bhalla today reviewed the security scenario in border areas of Chamliyal, R S Pura and Suchetgarh area.
The areas visited by the Ministers included Nanga, Narayanpur, Bandrai, Pargwal and Garhkhal.
The Deputy Minister interacted with the people of these areas and enquired about their grievances in the wake of continuous shelling from across the border. He was informed that women and children of some affected villages have been shifted to safer places.
About 25 families have been affected in Chamliyal while 15 villages in Ramgarh, Samba are reeling under tension due to ceasefire violation by Pakistan.
Earlier, the DyCM along with Ministers convened meetings at Chamliyal and Suchetgarh Kullian to take stock of problems of people of these border areas due to cross border firing.
The people highlighted their grievances and requirements as well like tents, identification of safer places in case of any eventuality and related services.
Deputy Chief Minister directed the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu, to chalk out a comprehensive contingency plan in accordance with the area specific needs to minimize loss of life and property in such mishaps. He maintained that all loopholes in the contingency plan should be timely plugged in. He asked the district administration to demonstrate the villages in the radius of 5-6 km along the border and LoC to ensure secure and relief operation is carried out in an effective manner.
Deputy Chief Minister also directed the health authorities to set up mobile health units besides asking the concerned to provide mobile health unit for livestock as well.
Ajay Sadhotra stressed on contingency plan envisaging evacuation of women, children, elderly and patients on priority. He also asked the officers to identify safe shelters in advance so that the affected could be accommodated there.
Speaking on the occasion, Sham asked the administration to furnish a detailed data about requirements of the people and meet the same in a well planned manner. He asked the officers to prepare a detailed report about the affected villages along IB and LoC so that the same could be projected at the right forum. He also asked them to include the total areas along IB and LoC with focus on cross border firing prone areas in this report so that necessary measures could be prepared, to tackle any such incident, in advance.