Home Ministry officials brief Dr Jitendra
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 26: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs today announced that it will reimburse all funds spent by Jammu and Kashmir Government for paying compensation for damages and losses suffered by the victims of Pakistan shelling and firing on both Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB).
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the MHA, which was also attended by Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Gyaneshwar Sharma and other MHA officials, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir desk.
Official sources told the Excelsior that immediately after the meeting, the MHA issued a Circular, which was released by the Press Information Bureau, stating that the funds paid as compensation by the Jammu and Kashmir to cross-firing victims, will be reimbursed to the State Government through the Security Related Expenditure (SRE).
The MHA order said that the State Government may consider to pay relief and compensation for housing damages/losses, crop losses or livestock losses, relief for stay at relief camps, displacement etc to those affected by cross-border firing and shelling, at the rates equal of NDRF recommendations, which have been fixed from time to time.
The MHA communiqué advised Jammu and Kashmir that item-wise claims and compensations paid by the State Government to the victims of cross-border firing may be submitted along with details, from time to time, in order to seek timely reimbursement from the Centre.
People from the border areas of Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts had recently complained about delay in settlement of their relief and compensation on the account of losses suffered by civilian deaths, perishing of cattle and damaged causes to property including houses, cattle sheds and crops in view of unabated Pakistan and shelling and firing for the past about 10 months now.
The people were getting meager compensation, which is paid by the State Government while rest of the amount that had to be paid by the State and reimbursed by the Centre under the Security Related Expenditure was getting delayed. The MHA had recently increase compensation for the kin of those civilians killed in Pakistan shelling and firing to Rs 5 lakh as against previous amount of Rs 1 lakh only.
At the MHA meeting, Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also Member of Parliament from Udhampur-Doda-Kathua Lok Sabha said the State Government should expedite the mechanism and seek prompt reimbursement of funds from the Centre.
“This will curb the delay and resolve the demand of the State Government about non-payment or inadequate payment of compensation to the border victims,” he said.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for being extremely sensitive in promptly responding to demands from the border areas.
Dr Jitendra Singh also appealed to the State Government to ensure better coordination in order to avoid delay in payment of compensations and said that possibly, an exclusive Nodal Officer for the purpose could be appointed by the State Government in order to put an end to frequent complaints from the border areas.
According to sources, the fresh MHA directive to Jammu and Kashmir Government was necessitated following complaints received from the border dwellers of both IB and LoC about delay in payment of relief to them for the deaths, injuries, losses to houses, other structures and crops despite the Central Government order that compensation has been hiked for all such cases.
A number of civilians have been killed or injured on LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts and IB in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts in the ongoing spate of shelling and firing between India and Pakistan, apart from extensive damage to property including houses, shops, cattle sheds and crops.
Sources said after increase in compensation, the Government now proposed to start construction of bunkers for the border dwellers in all five districts of Jammu region, which have IB and LoC with Pakistan to protect their lives at the time of shelling and firing from Pakistan side, which has become a routine on the borders.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
