‘India will soon acquire technology to detect tunnels along border’
STATE TIMES NEWS
REASI/JAMMU: In hard hitting words, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said here on Sunday that the critics who say nothing has been done by the Modi government must visit the family bunkers built along the borders before arriving at conclusions sitting in their drawing rooms.
He said, hardly 10 to 12 kilometers away from the venue of this function, the family bunkers with all the amenities, almost equivalent to a one-room residential flat, have been constructed for a long stay and shelter in the event of border firing, but unfortunately the self-styled critics have no time to visit the same.
The real question is that this demand had persisted since independence but why the past governments never addressed it, he asked.
Addressing a programme conducted jointly by Seema Jagran Manch and Seva Bharti, Dr Jitendra Singh said, this is for the first time since independence under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that several sensitive decisions have been taken for the people living on the border. In this regard, he referred to the construction of family bunkers with all the inbuilt amenities, construction of modern household toilets in border area houses, network of roads and bridges along International Border along Kathua and Samba, increased insurance rates in case of causality, 4% reservation in jobs and higher educational institutions for the population living along International borders at par with LoC, upcoming one of India’s largest Sports stadium in the name of Arun Jaitley in the border area near Hiranagar,etc .
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the programme , the Minister said, stringent measures are being taken to check border infiltration by terrorists, which has been brought under control to a large extent but may not have stopped completely. He said, even though there is effective border fencing in place and thermal detection is also carried out, the security forces have come across underground tunnels used by infiltrators from across the border. While the security forces are performing their duty with utmost sincerity and diligence, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is also the responsibility of the local population living on the border to cooperate in detecting and checking these underground routes. On this occasion, NHPC under CSR in presence of Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh, CMD NHPC Abhay Kumar Singh, All India Organization Gen. Sec of Sewa Bharati Sudhir Kumar, All India Co-Grn. Sec of Seema Jagran Manch Murlidhar, presented key of a critical care ambulance and Ambulance to Sewa Bharti Jammu and Kashmir in the presence of Delhi Prant Sewa Chief Vijay Choudhary and Sewa Bharti’s North Zone Organization General Secretary Jaidev.
Apart from this, these prominent people also released the Independence Day special issue of Seema Jagran Manch’s mouthpiece Seema Sangosh and poster of Sewa Geet of Sewa Bharti.
Dr Singh questioned the opposition parties as to who was responsible for decades of discrimination among marginalized people who were considered only vote bank by the opposition parties. He also announced the setting up of the Satish Dhawan Space Center at the Central University of Jammu and arrangements for organizing a Light and Sound Show at the Reasi Fort soon. In his address Sudhir Kumar, All India Organization General Secretary of Seva Bharati gave details of one lakh, 35 thousand service works carried out by Seva Bharti across the country on this occasion and All India Co-Gen Sec of Seema Jagran Manch, Muralidhar gave details of the activities of Seema Jagran Manch and marginalized people. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Jammu and Kashmir’s prant Pracharak Rupesh Kumar was especially present in the programme. Various presentations by the girls of Drishti Girls Hostel giving a message to the society were also appreciated in the programme.
At another function held at Reasi this morning organized by “Saksham”, a social organization dedicated to the service of the Divyangs, Dr Jitendra Singh said, it was the sensitive approach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave the nomenclature “Divyang” because the approach of the government is to ensure empowerment of weaker sections along with their appropriate respect and esteem in the society.
He said, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), had in recent times taken several important decisions in this regard, which include increase in the reservation quota of jobs for Divyangs including Acid Attack Victims and certain other categories for entitlement to jobs as Divyangs etc.
Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve that this government is committed to those sections of society, which were left out of priority by the earlier governments, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Department of Pensions, which is also under him, has relaxed the Family Pension rules and now a divorced daughter will be entitled to Family Pension even if she has not received divorce through the Court of Law but has filed a Divorce Petition in the Court.
Similarly, the very elderly pensioners would not have to produce the Life Certificate in person but would be entitled to use the option of “Digital Life Certificate”.
Describing the next 25 years as crucial, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Amrit Mahotsav conceptualised and launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meant to awaken each one of us about our responsibilities in contributing in the making of “New India” and celebrate the 100 years of independence with a unique glory and pride.