Over 6,000 families displaced due to the Kargil war have now got reason to rejoice. After facing nine years of displacement, these families will now be able to finally settle
SRINAGAR: Over 6,000 families displaced due to the Kargil war have now got reason to rejoice. After facing nine years of displacement, these families will now be able to finally settle down if the Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to establish a state of art colony for the displaced families materialises.
Around 6,072 families from 21 villages were evicted from their homes on the border in Chamb sector of Jammu region during the height of Kargil war in 1999 as they fell in the range of Pakistani artillery. Besides, the army had mined the agricultural land close to the border to avoid any incursion by Pakistan.
“All the 6,072 families from border areas, which were shifted to makeshift camps after the Kargil war, have been allotted five marla plots for construction of alternative shelters at Gurah Jagir colony,” said Tara Chand, former MLA and speaker of the assembly who has championed the cause of the border migrants for six years.
The colony has been planned on modern lines and will have all the basic amenities available in towns and cities. The government has also decided to provide Rs50,000 to the people to construct houses in the colony.
“We have given each family Rs25,000 in cash as the first installment for the construction of their houses. The second installment will be given later,” said
Dr Mandeep Bhandari, district development commissioner, Jammu.
Around 2,331 kanals of land has been earmarked for the new colony which will be established at the cost of Rs35 crore.
“We want to complete the process soon. Most of the people have gone back to their homes. There are some more people who continue to live in migrant camps,” Chand said.
Also, some of the area has been de-mined so that they could cultivate on their lands once again. The people of Somwan and Chaprial villages, located on the zero line, who recently returned to their homes have been paid a compensation for clearing fields which turned barren as they were not in use.
“Large tract of land has been de-mined by the army. The army has told us that rest of the land cannot be de-mined for security reasons,” said Dr Bhandari.
h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net 
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