Cong panel visits border areas along IB in Jammu

A Congress panel headed by leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad today visited various areas along the Indo-Pak border to meet the victims of Pakistani shelling and took stock of the prevailing situation.
Azad flanked AICC General Secretary incharge J-KAmbika Soni (MP), along with J-K Congress chief G A Mir and other senior leaders, visited various areas and went to border areas ofR S Pura, Chakroi, Sai-Khurd, Bishnah, Arnia and later in Jhri and Kanachak to meet the border migrants and the victims of Pakistani firing, Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said.
They conveyed their sympathies to the victims on behalf of the Congress party, he added.

They took stock of the prevailing situation as a result of heavy shelling from Pakistan leading to the loss of lives and injuries to a large number of people, besides large scale damage to the property, forcing several border residents to migrate to safer areas.
The border residents in different camps like ITIR S Pura, Chakroi Camp, Sai-Khurd, Arnia briefed them about the human loss and injuries, besides huge loss and destruction of their properties.
The Tribal Gujjars at Chakroi Camp briefed them that over 150 buffaloes were killed and several other injured, besides burning down of their houses and fodder in the JouraFarm area.

They also complained that only 30,000 to the maximum of 90,000 was provided for the death of buffalo or cow, whereas actual loss is around 1 lakh per buffalo.

Addressing the border residents, Azad expressed grave concern over the repeated incidents of border firing and escalated tensions with Pakistan.
Azad claimed that there was comparatively calm on the border and the Line of Control (LoC) during the UPA regime and there were few incidents of cross-border firings but during the NDA regime it has "become a routine situation and the border residents and jawans are becoming regular targets and getting killed".

"The border residents are getting disturbed time and again from their homes, depriving them of properties and education of their children," he added.
Azad and Soni said that party would raise these issues both in Parliament and the state legislature, besides launching a campaign in the state for justified demands of the border residents.
Soni assured the border people that they would apprise the party high command about the whole situation when they return to Delhi and extend all possible help to seek redressal of their concerns and demands of border residents.
Several senior state leaders and legislators accompanied them, including senior vice president J-K Congress, Sham Lal Sharma, Rigzin Jora (CLP Leader) and former deputy chief minister Tara Chand were part of the panel.