Border residents slam BJP’s U-turn on rehab promise

JAMMU: As the state government has bluntly ruled out allotting alternative land to border inhabitants at safer places the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP is facing severe criticism from residents for taking a Uturn on this vital issue

Updated At : 06:35 AM Jun 09, 2016 IST

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 8

As the state government has bluntly ruled out allotting alternative land to border inhabitants at safer places, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing severe criticism from residents for taking a U-turn on this vital issue.

The saffron party, which is a part of the coalition government with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is already under fire for its failure to get the controversial order of the Finance Department to impose 12.5 per cent tax on pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi. This tax was imposed in September 2015 and BJP leadership had promised to get this order revoked within a “couple” of days.

While on the one hand government’s refusal to allot alternative land has led to strong anger among border inhabitants, there is resentment among some BJP legislators also against party ministers for their failure to convince coalition partner on it.

“During the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections our party had promised to provide alternative land to the people, who usually face brunt of shelling from across the border. But the state government has ruled out allotting plots,” a BJP MLA, told on the condition of anonymity, adding, “It is duty of our representatives in the government to take a stand on this issue.”

BJP legislators, who represent border constituencies, have reasons to be worried because during Assembly polls for first time the party had won all the segments, except one, which touch International Border (IB). In the Lok Sabha elections, border residents had voted en masse in support of the BJP. The party had won Khour, Akhnoor, Marh, RS Pura, Suchetgarh, Vijaypur, Samba, Hiranagar and Kathua Assembly segments of Jammu province, with the promise to provide and on other issues. Even party’s national president Amit Shah, who had visited border areas of RS Pura in August 2014, before the Assembly elections, had promised to take some effective steps to solve problems of border inhabitants.

However, the state government has ruled allotting five marlas of land to border residents.

Instead of plots, the government, with the financial assistance from the Centre, has

decided to construct community type bunkers (CTBs) in border district of Jammu division.

Importantly, the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs in its 75th report too had recommended allotment of alternative sites to the border residents.

The government’s refusal has provided an opportunity to opposition Congress to take on its arch rival BJP on the issue. Congress’s chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said the government stand showed that the BJP’s promise to provide five-marla plots to residents is just another election "jumla."

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Panthers Party, border residents hold protest

Expressing immense shock over the loss of property and life caused by heavy mortar shelling by Pakistan on the forward villages of international border and Line of Control LoC, Panthers Party activists today joined by kith and kin of the deceased and scores of severely injured people staged a demonstration spearheaded under the leadership of Harsh Dev Singh and Balwant Singh Mankotia.

They slammed the Central as well as state government for their apathy and gross failure to provide succour to border residents of Jammu region. They sought an immediate relief and compensation for them as promised by both the governments.