J&K BJP urges Centre for construction of more bunkers along border areas

A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that assessed the damage to the border areas due to recent Pakistani shelling on Monday said it has urged the Central government for immediate construction of more bunkers in these areas.

Leader of Opposition in J&K Assembly and BJP leader Sunil Sharma during a press conference in Jammu shared that the BJP delegation submitted the key demands to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Lieutenant Governor of J&K, which include immediate construction of more bunkers to ensure civilian safety, government jobs for families who lost a member due to shelling, and increased compensation for damaged homes beyond the existing limit of Rs 1.2 lakh under SDRF norms. The delegation also recommended the disbursal through Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) to ensure efficient and immediate disbursal of aid.

Sunil Sharma, who was a part of the delegation, pledged to continue advocating for better infrastructure, stronger compensation mechanisms, and long-term policy solutions to deal with the persistent threat of cross-border terrorism and shelling.

A committee comprising senior BJP leaders visited the shelling hit villages across J&K to assess the damages to the life and property and outlined the party’s assessment of civilian losses and ongoing relief efforts in border areas affected by Pakistan shelling.

Sharma said that despite the targeted and controlled nature of Operation Sindoor, the Pakistan Army retaliated unreasonably, launching indiscriminate shelling on civilian areas along the border. This led to significant loss of life, destruction of homes, livestock, and agricultural assets, he said.

Sharma stated that in response to Pakistan’s aggression, Indian forces undertook a historic counterstrike, which resulted in the destruction of 11 Pakistani airbases and military establishments.

The findings of the delegation included 14 civilian deaths in Poonch, 2 in Rajouri, one each in Uri and Nagrota. It found widespread damage to property, with 690 houses damaged in Poonch, 534 in Uri, and over 1,500 to 2,000 houses affected overall.

J & K