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Bunkers built for Kargil civilians

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

The construction of underground bunkers for the civilian population of Kargil in the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir has been completed, Minister of State for Home Mushtaq Ahmad Lone announced in the state assembly on Tuesday.

Lone said that under a comprehensive relief package announced in August last year, each family in the town and adjoining villages, which were shelled heavily by the Pakistanis from across the Line of Control during the Kargil crisis, were given Rs 20,000 for the construction of bunkers.

Lone said the matter of fully compensating the loss of property suffered as a result of the Pakistani shelling during the conflict would be taken up with the central government. But Rs 100,000 as ex-gratia relief to the next of kin of those killed and reimbursement of 50 per cent of the loss of property, subject to a maximum of Rs 100,000, was being given to the victims of the shelling.

Besides, the minister said, free provisions had been provided till May this year to all families whose crops had been damaged. These families, he said, were also given cash assistance of Rs 200 per person per mensem, besides free kerosene and cash assistance for fodder for animals.

The families of Drass, Kargil and Batalik were also provided Rs 200 as house rent by the deputy commissioner. The MOS said that 11,000 families are still living as migrants in Jammu region and they are also being provided relief.

The Kargil Crisis

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