Stringent measures being taken to check cross-border infiltration by terrorists: Jitendra Singh 

By PTI

JAMMU: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said stringent measures are being taken to check cross-border infiltration by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and though it has been controlled to a large extent, it may not have stopped completely.

Addressing an event here, the minister of state for personnel said even though effective border fencing is in place and thermal detection is also carried out, security forces have come across underground tunnels used by infiltrators coming from across the border.

Singh said security forces are performing their duty with utmost sincerity and diligence, but it is also the responsibility of the local population to cooperate in detection and checking of these underground routes.

“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.

Referring to the construction of family bunkers for the safety of people living along the Line of Control (LoC), modern household toilets in border areas and roads along the International Border, Singh said for the first time since independence, several sensitive decisions have been taken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the people living along the border.

He said those who say nothing has been done by the Modi government must visit the family bunkers before arriving at conclusions while sitting in their drawing rooms.

Barely 10 to 12 km from the venue of this function, family bunkers with all amenities, almost equivalent to a one-room residential flat, have been constructed for long stay and shelter in the event of border firing.

Singh said the real question is why the previous governments did not address people’s long-pending demand for bunkers.

The minister also attended a function at Reasi that was organised by Saksham, a social organisation working for disabled people. Singh said the Modi government’s approach is to ensure empowerment of the weaker sections of society and that they get appropriate respect.

For this, he said, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has taken several important decisions in recent times like increasing the reservation quota in jobs for ‘Divyangs’ including acid attack victims.