Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 4: To improve operational efficiency of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the Central Government has included all matters related to the BRO and Border Roads Development Board (BRDB) in the list of business allocated to the Defence Ministry.
This has been done to help BRO expedite connectivity works in the border areas, which it has taken at various places along the borders including Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and International Border in Jammu among other parts of the country.
“The Government of India has amended Allocation of Business Rules 1961 to include all matters relating to the BRO and BRDB in the list of business allocated to Ministry of Defence,” Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said in the Rajya Sabha yesterday in response to a written reply to Rangasayee Ramakrishna.
The BRO is engaged in construction of several border roads in Jammu and Kashmir including Ladakh, bordering China, along the LAC and International Border in Jammu. More crucial task for the BRO is ahead with the Centre having decided to link all forward posts of the BSF with road along the IB in Jammu to enhance operational preparedness of security forces.
Sources said the Ministry of Defence will take up coordination with other Ministries regularly to expedite connectivity works in the border areas.
In responses to another question in Lok Sabha yesterday, the Centre said 110 militants were killed in Jammu and Kashmir last years as against combine toll of 75 civilians and security personnel, who fell victim to militants.
The written reply said that 222 incidents of terrorist strikes and encounters were reported during last year in the border State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The terror attacks left 47 security personnel, 28 civilians and 110 terrorists dead in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, the reply said.
It said the Centre was regularly taking up with Pakistan at the highest level the issue of ceasefire violations along the International Border and the Line of Control and the need for upholding sanctity of the border and abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003.
“In the bilateral talks held on May 27, 2014 during the visit of Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif to India for swearing-in of the new Government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility on the international Border and upholding the sanctity of the LoC,” the Government reply said.
It added that appropriate retaliation to the ceasefire violations, where necessary, has been carried out by the security forces.
“At the military level, violation of ceasefire is taken up with Pakistan authorities at the appropriate level through the established mechanism of hotlines, flag meetings as well as weekly talks between the Directorate Generals of Military Operations,” the Government reply said.
It said the incidents of terrorism are taking place continuously from across the border in India.
‘’There is a continuous increase in the cross border terrorism,” the reply said.
India, it said, has Joint Working Groups on Counter Terrorism with 24 countries/organisations/regions including Australia, China, USA, United Kingdom, European Union and BIMSTEC.
According to the reply, the Centre, in tandem with the State Governments concerned, has adopted a multi-pronged approach to contain cross-border infiltration. In addition, there is very close and affective coordination amongst intelligence agencies at the Centre and the State-level.
In response to another question the Defence Ministry said it has taken series of welfare measures for the ex-servicemen including reservation ranging from 10 per cent to 24.5 per cent of the available vacancies in Group C&D posts in Central Government and Central public Sector Undertakings/ Banks.
Ten per cent vacancies are reserved in the posts up to the level of Assistant Commandants in Para-military forces. Moreover, age relaxation is available for the ESM in services or Posts filled by direct recruitment. ESM Officers are sponsored by DG Resettlement for jobs, based on requisitions received from Government/ PSUs and Corporates.
“In addition to this, Army Welfare Placement Organization and similar placement cells in Air Force help ESM in finding suitable jobs in Banks, Industries, corporate Houses, Academic Institutions, Hospitals, Hotels and Real Estate, etc,” the Ministry said.
It added that most of the State Governments also provide reservation to ex-servicemen in State Government jobs as per their own reservation policy which varies from State to State.
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