The Union Ministry of Home Affairs will reimburse all the funds spent by the Jammu & Kashmir Government to pay compensation for damages and losses to the victims of cross-border firing.
Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in charge of PMO, said the Centre's decision will sort out the delay and resolve the demand of the State Government about the non-payment or inadequate payment of compensation to the people living in the Pakistan border areas.
The Minister said that State Government should expedite the mechanism and seek prompt reimbursement of funds from the Centre. This will curb the delay and resolve the demand of the State Government about non-payment or inadequate payment of compensation to the border victims. Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh for being extremely sensitive in promptly responding to demands from the border areas.
"As per the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the fund paid as compensation by the J&K State Government will be reimbursed to the State Government from the Centre through SRE (Security Related Expenditure). The order further says that the State Government may consider to pay relief and compensation for housing damages / losses, crop losses or livestock losses, relief for stay at relief camps, displacement, etc. to those affected by cross-border firing, at the rates equal to NDRF recommendations fixed from time to time," said the statement issued by the Home Ministry.
The Home Ministry also advised the State Government that item-wise claims and compensations paid by the State Government to the victims of cross-border firing may be submitted along with details, from time to time, in order to seek timely reimbursement from the Centre.
As per the records, over 10000 civilians living near the border were relocated to safer places in the last year alone. Pakistan has continuously violated the ceasefire targeting forward Indian posts and civilian areas along the International Border and line of Control.
On February 24, before it unleashed intense firing and shelling on Silkote and Churanda villages, the Pakistani Army used loudspeakers to urge the residents of the two villages to vacate the area.