The cross border firing victims in Jammu & Kashmir continue to receive a paltry sum of Rs1 lakh ex-gratia relief/compensation even after it was enhanced by the Union Cabinet to the tune of Rs5 lakh in the month of August 2016. On ground zero the district development commissioners who release ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of the cross border firing victims have been awaiting fresh guidelines from the Union Government to release the enhanced ex-gratia relief. Soon after the Union Cabinet had given its nod to the proposal of Union Home Ministry to enhance the ex-gratia amount for cross border firing victims the State BJP leaders had issued statements welcoming the announcement but long delay in implementing the decision is adversely affecting the morale of the border residents. In the last two years 26 victims of cross border firing were handed over ex-gratia relief of Rs1 lakh per person in Jammu region. Out of these 26 victims 14 were killed in 2015 while 12 became victims of cross border firing in 2016. Seven cross border firing victims were residents of Jammu, 7 from Samba, 1 from Kathua, 2 from Rajouri and 9 from Poonch district. Those killed after August 2016 were entitled to enhanced ex-gratia relief of Rs5 lakh but even these cross border firing victims were handed over ex-gratia relief of Rs1 lakh per person. Deputy Commissioner Samba, Sheetal Nanda told The Pioneer, “We are awaiting fresh guidelines to release the enhanced amount of ex-gratia.”
Her office released Rs1 lakh ex-gratia for five civilians killed in November 2016. The information with complete details of ex-gratia and structures damaged in the cross border shelling was tabled in the state assembly by the Minister-in-charge state Home Department in the form of a written reply on Monday.
According to the written statement submitted by CM Mehbooba Mufti, “a sum of Rs26 lakh was paid to these victims while Rs6.70 lakh was distributed to 134 injured civilians and a sum of Rs42.35 lakhs was distributed for damaged structures affected by the cross border shelling.
The Minister-in charge Home department also informed the State Assembly that a proposal to construct 20125 community bunkers at a total cost of 1006.25 crores was sent for approval to the Union Home Ministry. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs have approved construction of 60 bunkers at Rs5 lakh per bunker. An amount of Rs300 lakhs was released out of which 176.87 lakhs were utilised till December 2016.