J&K govt to build 14,460 bunkers at a cost of over Rs 4.15 bn along LoC

The Jammu and Kashmir government will construct 14,460 bunkers at a cost of Rs 4.15 billion(Rs 415.73 crore), within three kms along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in the Jammu region, as the Centre had given its nod in this regard, it said today.

In a written reply to a question from MLA Kamal Verma in the state Assembly, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the Union home ministry had conveyed its sanction for the construction of the bunkers in the border districts of Jammu region.

She said the state government would specify the building norms for all these areas, up to five kms from the border.

"Priority shall be given to the bunkers which are nearest to the existing border outposts (BOPs)," Mehbooba added.

She further said that every bunker, as per the condition of the Union home ministry, should be within a distance of three kilometres from the border.

The state government would submit a detailed list, containing the exact locations of the large community bunkers as well as the individual bunkers, as per the conditions laid down in this regard, the PDP leader said.

For the construction of these bunkers, central agencies such as the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the NBCC would be engaged, she added.

Of the 14,460 bunkers, 13,029 would be individual ones, while 1,431 would be community bunkers, Mehbooba said.

Steps were initiated to fulfil the conditions laid down by the Union home ministry in this regard, before taking up the construction work, she added.