Rajnath’s J&K visit begins today
JAMMU: Amid spike in terror attacks, home minister Rajnath Singh’s two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, which begins on Thursday has rekindled the hopes of border residents to find solution to their problems.
“We hope that the home minister takes cognisance of our hardships and initiates measures to end them,” a resident of Chachwal village in Samba district, Hari Singh said.
He said, “We expect construction of individual bunkers on war footing, five marla plots in safer zones, special recruitment drive in central forces for youth of border areas, education for our children and adequate compensation for the loss of life and properties in attacks.”
The home minister will also review unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir announced on May 16 for the holy month of Ramzan. He will be accompanied by governor NN Vohra, CM Mehbooba Mufti and top security officials.
Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday posted on her twitter handle, “Even as we see the ceasefire bringing great relief to the people of J&K, militants seem to be continuing their violent activities and desperately trying to sabotage the process. I only hope that they realise the futility of their actions soon”.
Despite unilateral ceasefire there has been no end to terror attacks in Kashmir. Instead, there has been a spurt in terror activities including grenade attacks.
ON JUNE 8, SINGH WILL VISIT JAMMU TO REVIEW SECURITY ALONG THE IB WHERE 15 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 67 INJURED DUE TO PAK SHELLING SINCE MAY 15
Singh’s visit also comes at a time when the Centre has offered talks with the separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference in a bid to restore peace in strifetorn Valley. However, the Hurriyat has sought clarity on the offer.
On June 8, Singh will visit Jammu to review security along the International Border where 15 people were killed and 67 injured besides over a lakh people getting displaced from their homes due to Pak shelling since May 15 in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.
Meanwhile, BJP, a partner in the ruling alliance, has demanded inclusion of border villages in the category of backward class. Prominent leaders of the BJP met the chairman of the state commission for backward classes, Jeet Lal Gupta, on Wednesday to present their demand. The villages in border areas of Jammu starting from Khour in Akhnoor to Bobbiyan in Kathua face numerous problems and has not been included in the list of backward areas. Mehbooba had earlier assured that the people living close to the International Border will be treated at par with the people living close to the LoC in terms of benefits.