The storm before any possibility of lull on Thursday saw hectic preparations for war in Punjab. Switching into emergency mode, the Punjab Government machinery went into full motion. The evacuation of border villages were ordered, schools closed, doctors' leaves were cancelled within hours of Indian surgical operations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Notwithstanding ill-health, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal held back-to-back meetings with the senior officials of both the administrative and police setup to review the situation, besides calling an emergency Cabinet meeting in the evening. He even spoke to all the MlAs of the border villages for their support in the evacuation process.

“In all, we are evacuating 1,000 villages along the border falling in total of six districts in the State,” said Badal after chairing the emergency meeting of the State Cabinet late in the evening.

The evacuation orders came after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh talked to Badal over phone and requested him to start the evacuation of people in villages within 10 km of the border in view of the escalating tensions between the two neighbouring States.

Monitoring the situation during an emergency meeting at his official residence, Badal directed the state Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal and the state police chief Suresh Arora to ask all the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to oversee the evacuation processes in the districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot.

The DCs have also been directed to identify a suitable location for setting up the camps and ensure that none of any residents being evacuated was put to any sort of inconvenience or hardships. 

In addition, the Chief Secretary has been asked to immediately release Rs one crore each to all DCs of the six border districts to meet any exigency arising out of these prevailing situation.

It has been learnt that a lot of activity has been witnessed along the borders with the army men building their bunkers. The movement of army vehicles and other equipment was also witnessed on Wednesday night.

Badal said that one additional officer have been sent from the state headquarters in all districts to assist the DCs in border districts. 

Claiming that Punjab was in a state of "maximum alert", Advisor to Chief Minister Harcharan Bains said that appropriate steps were being taken to ensure the safety of people in the border areas with Pakistan.

For the evacuation process, the local authorities used loudspeakers of gurdwaras to make announcements asking residents in the border villages to leave their homes and villages and move to safer zones. Besides, Police gypsies were also making the announcement.

The government has ordered to close all schools and other institutions in the border belt till further orders. Besides, the leave of Punjab Police and medical personnel in the border areas has also been cancelled, while those on leave have been asked to report back immediately.

The health department has been asked to keep adequate stock of medicine and other emergency drugs.

The residents of border villages have also been asked to switch off their lights during the night.

Working on the exigency plans, the district administrations have started the process of setting up the relief camps, while the state Revenue Department has been asked to arrange stock of food and emergency supplies.

The District Administration has also arranged buses for people keen to move away from villages along the border at various places.

The owners of marriage places, dharamshalas and community places have been asked to keep their premises vacant to set up relief camps. 

"DGP, law and Order, HS Dhillon and the state Home Secretary have been asked to camp in Amritsar to monitor the evacuation process in all districts," said Badal.

"Most people who have been evacuated have gone to their relatives and friends…For others gurudwara and deras, schools and marriage palaces are there to keep the evacuees," said Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal.

He said that special camps have been set up and food packets were being distributed, while fodder for the animals has also been provided.

The state Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora said that a total of 1500 district police and PAP jawans have been deployed as the second line of defence in the border areas.

The senior police officers from headquarters have been dispatched to the border areas," said Arora.

Ferozepur DC has issued orders to all departments that there would be "no strike by the employees of any department, no meeting and no employee will  be allowed leave till further orders".

Sources informed The Pioneer that the Intelligence agencies are keeping a close vigil on every movement along the border, while the surveillance has also been spruced up along the entire stretch of zero line.

The Border Security Force (BSF) was mobilizing its troops and strengthening the security along the border with Pakistan in the state, which is 553-km long.

It has been informed that the Indian Army and intelligence agencies have also updated the Railway authorities not to share information about movement of army trains with anyone on phone. 

"It is a general practice of Pakistani spy agencies to call up lower rung official of railways and seek information about location and movement of trains," an official said.

PANIC AMONG PEOPlE

A wave of panic spread among the people in border villages soon after the evacuation was ordered. Even as the Border Security Force (BSF) and Police personnel maintained that there was nothing to worry, a palpable tension was visible among the villagers, who wanted to stay put.

Nearly a hundred villages falling in Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts, near border, were vacated within hours of the police receiving verbal instructions from the state government.

At many places, the residents were seen making a bee line to fuel stations to get their vehicles' fuel tanks filled with apprehensions of petrol pump closure or the pumps running short of supply with massive movement of the people.

NO NEED TO PANIC, BADAl SAYS IT'S PRECAUTIONARY STEPS

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked the people to not to panic as these were just "precautionary" measures being taken by the government in case of any misfortune.

"Depending on the situation, the people who have been evacuated will have to remain out of the border villages," said Badal while adding that these are precautionary measures.

"There is no need to panic," he told the people, ruing that Punjab "is always the worst hit in such situations".

GOVT SEEKS BORDER AREA MlAs HElP TO EVACUATE VIllAGES

Going a step further to ensure safety of its citizens, the Punjab government has asked all the border area MlAs to help the government machinery in the process of evacuating 10 km area along the international border.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, known for his good relations with the rival political leaders too, have also spoke to all the cabinet ministers and MlAs to camp in the border districts in which their assembly constituencies fall.

"I have personally called all MlAs in border districts to help in evacuation," said Badal.

He requested them to coordinate with the respective district administration to ensure the smooth movement of residents of villages near the border.

Punjab BJP's former president Kamal Sharma wasted no time to meet the people in about 15 villages of Ferozepur district falling on the border.