J-K guv sanctions 25 community bunkers for LoC areas of Gurez

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Friday announced construction of 25 community bunkers for safeguarding the people against Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control in Gurez belt of north Kashmir.

The governor accorded sanction for the construction of 25 community bunkers in forward areas of Gurez on the demand of the locals, a Raj Bhawan spokesman said.

In 2018, the Centre has sanctioned the construction of over 14,000 community and individual bunkers along the LoC and the International Border (IB) for border residents facing Pakistani shelling in the Jammu division.

While 7,298 bunkers will be constructed along the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri, 7,162 underground bunkers will be constructed along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts. The total cost of the 14,460 bunkers would be Rs 415.73 crore, officials said.

A total of 13,029 individual bunkers and 1,431 community bunkers are being constructed, they said, adding the capacity of the 160-square-feet individual bunker will be of eight people, and that of the 800-square-feet community bunker will be of 40 people.

The officials said 4,918 individual and 372 community bunkers will be constructed in Rajouri, and 3,076 individual and 243 community bunkers will come up in Kathua district.

A total of 688 community and 1,320 individual bunkers will be constructed in Poonch, while Jammu would get 1,200 individual and 120 community bunkers. In Samba district, 2,515 individual and eight community bunkers will be constructed, they said.

India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.