“The announcement of relief measures by both the Lt Governor and as well as the Chief Minister are undoubtedly satisfying but an expeditious implementation of the decisions taken so for by both the Chief Minister and the Lt Governor are yet to follow in the remote shelling hit border areas.”
The shelling after the launch of “Operation Sindoor” that ended with ceasefire between India and Pakistan brought grief, pain and misery to the people in the most vulnerable border areas in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri. The deaths of more than a dozen people including Additional District Development Commissioner Rajouri Dr Raj Kumar Thapa in the said twin districts besides huge collateral damage caused to the civilian constructions rendering hundreds of people attracted immediate attention of both the Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The announcement of relief measures by both the Lt Governor and as well as the Chief Minister are undoubtedly satisfying but an expeditious implementation of the decisions taken so for by both the Chief Minister and the Lt Governor are yet to follow in the remote shelling hit border areas. The construction of the residential structures demolished in the cross border shelling is obviously a priority for the Government but simultaneously the construction of additional bunkers promised by both the Lt Governor and the Chief Minister also demands and deserves highest priority. The response to the situation arising due to non-stop shelling that continued for days together should not end with the relocation of the victims but with their return to their homes. While the fact remains that finally the restoration of essential services holds key to the return of the shelling hit people to their native areas in coming weeks, administrative wisdom demands that Government launches immediate measures to restore the basic essential services in all the shelling hit areas to facilitate the return of the displaced people to their native places in both Poonch and Rajouri districts.
“Relief and Rehabilitation becoming a part of border management in view of the recent experiences of border shelling can by all standards of understandabilities reduce the miseries and sufferings of the people in conflict situations in border areas. More advisable it could be for the Government to establish a separate department of Border Management, Relief and Rehabilitation the way the Department of Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation was set up almost a decade ago.”
As experiences of recent shelling have also brought to light new vulnerabilities of people to shelling in both border and plain areas of the said border districts, the proposals for new evacuation and safety plans in the wake of shelling from the other side of the border demands and deserves immediate attention and intervention of the Government. By all standards of understandabilities public awareness about future evacuation and safety plans holds key to the safety of the border populations in twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri. Relief and Rehabilitation becoming a part of border management in view of the recent experiences of border shelling can by all standards of understandabilities reduce the miseries and sufferings of the people in conflict situations in border areas. More advisable it could be for the Government to establish a separate department of Border Management, Relief and Rehabilitation the way the Department of Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation was set up almost a decade ago.
