JAMMU: BJP State Pres-ident and MLA Sat Sharma (C.A) said that the decision of introducing provision for ex-gratia assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the victims of cross-border firing, landmines explosions and IED explosions in the border areas will fulfill the long pending demand of the people of the State.
He said that the people living in borders touching neighboring countries, Pakistan in particular, have been suffering loss of lives and receiving severe injuries due to firing from across the border, explosions of landmines and IEDs for decades and the successive governments at the Centre never took a human view of the problems and plight of the border people.
The successive governme-nts in Jammu and Kashmir also played hide and seek with the border people during all these years after independence, he added.
Sat maintained that the landmark decision will also bring all the border areas of the country at a common level.
He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi for this landmark decision taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by him.
How much concerned the BJP and its government under Narendra Modi has been towards border people, can be well judged from the fact that during the last two years NDA took a number of decisions for their benefit.
In August 2014, when border people were putting up in camps on their migration due to firing from across Pakistan, BJP National President Amit Shah visited their camps in RS Pura, Bishnah and other places and was stressed upon to provide them assistance / compensation in case of the casualities and injuries by cross border firing and explosions of mines and IEDs.
The party as well as Union MoS Dr Jitendra Singh, Lok Sabha MP Jugal Kishore Sharma and Rajya Sabha MP Shamsher Singh Man-has had been continuously pursuing the same and finally it has been cleared. Not only this, construction of concrete bunkers, setting up of five battalions of IRP with 60 per cent share of border youth and developing infrastructure on borders have been the other land mark decisions of the present Narendra Modi Government. Similarly, the State Government has also extended the benefits of SRO-43 to some families in border areas.
While briefing about the recent meeting of the BJP delegation with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at Srinagar, Sat Sharma said the party conveyed its appreciations towards Union government’s initiative for dialogue with those who believe in ‘Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat and Jamhooriyat’.
He said that the party, through a detailed memorandum submitted to the Union Home Minister, suggested no leniency towards trouble makers in the Valley besides putting forth suggestions and demands for bringing peace and normalcy.
The BJP demanded that militancy should be curbed strongly; free hand should be given to security forces to deal the situation; intelligence grid be strengthened; terrorist should not be allowed to address public rallies; flow of illegal money to boost terrorism be stopped; coordination be strengthened between all security forces; proper security be provided to minorities living in Kashmir; misuse of loud speaker from mosques be stopped and activities of Jamayat-e-Islami be put under scanner. State General Secretary Dr. Narinder Singh and State Spok-esperson Balbir Ram Rattan were also present in the press conference.