With normalcy returning to the areas near the International border with Pakistan after the surgical strike, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday said the Central Government has revoked its earlier decision to evacuate the border villages.
After the surgical strike on terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir on September 26-27, the State Government had evacuated people from the border villages.
This decision to revoke the order was taken after a review of the situation along the entire border with Pakistan in a meeting held at Jaisalmer which was presided over by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Accordingly the Deputy Chief Minister informed Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal about the decision. The CS has informed the Deputy Commissioners of all districts concerned to take immediate steps to ensure smooth return of the affected people back to the border villages.
The Punjab Government, following directions from the Union Home Ministry, had on September 29 ordered evacuation of people to safer areas from within the 10-km belt of its 553-km international border with Pakistan.
Over four lakh people in nearly 1,000 villages in six border districts of Fazilka, Ferozepur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot were affected due to the evacuation.
Many families and people had refused to move out saying that they had to tend to their crops, cattle and properties.
The Punjab Government and the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine came in for criticism from opposition parties for over-reacting to the situation and ordering evacuation of border villages.
The Union government had, on October 2, allowed border farmers to harvest their paddy crop following growing resentment among farmers. Schools in the border belt, which were closed since September 29, were ordered to be opened from October 5.
Evacuated villagers had alleged mismanagement by local authorities at the evacuation camps saying that there were hardly any arrangements. The evacuation move followed apprehensions that Pakistan could retaliate after the cross-loC strikes.
Meanwhile in the meeting on Thursday, Deputy chief minister gave a brief about the recent steps taken by Punjab government to counter terrorist attacks as well as modernization done in the State force.
He said the government had effectively neutralized the terrorist attacks at Deenanagar besides giving real time support to the army to counter the attack at the Pathankot air base. Keeping in view these acts and the constant threat of terrorist incursions from Pakistan, Badal requested the Home minister to give Punjab permission to raise five armed battalions which would act like a second line of defence behind the Border Security Force (BSF) which was manning the border. He said the government had already identified 75 points where check points needed to be placed as a second line of defence.
The Deputy CM also stressed the need for using modern technology to seal the border with Pakistan more effectively. He said instead of relying only on patrolling which had its limitations, modern technology including CCTV cameras and sophisticated sensors could be used alongside the barbed wire fencing.
Sukhbir Badal also detailed the need for providing funds to Punjab to further modernize its police force. He said though Rs 18 crore had been received from the centre for this purpose, the State government had spent Rs 100 crore on the modernization drive after the Pathankot terror attack. He said more steps needed to be taken in this direction to ward of external and internal threats effectively.
He also highlighted the needed to increase compensation being paid to farmers in the border belt who own land across the barbed wire fencing in Indian territory. He said this was needed to ameliorate the difficult conditions under which they had to till their fields on a day to day basis.
CONG STAND VINDICATED: CAPT AMARINDER
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh welcomed the reversal of evacuation orders from border villages by the government saying it vindicated his stand that it was not required in the first place.
He said the evacuations had been ordered to create war hysteria for vested political interests by the Akali-BJP alliance.
"Who will compensate for the losses and harassment suffered by the border villagers who were forced out of their homes to go homeless for all these days without any rhyme or reasonIJ” he asked, demanding that the government must compensate for their losses.