J-K govt relief for Chamba victims

SRINAGAR, Aug 6: The Jammu and Kashmir government has formulated a package of relief measures for the families affected by the unprovoked...

SRINAGAR, Aug 6: The Jammu and Kashmir government has formulated a package of relief measures for the families affected by the unprovoked shelling from across the border.

State Finance Minister Mohammad Shafi said today that over Rs 30 lakh had been released by the government to undertake immediate relief measures for the affected families. More than Rs 8 lakh has already been disbursed in Uri sector which included distribution of ex-gratia payment to next of kin of seven of the ten killed, he said.

In Kupwara district, ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to the next of kin of each killed has already been sanctioned and amount is being disbursed. As an ad hoc relief Rs 25,000 has been sanctioned for damaged houses, Rs 5,000 for each injured and Rs 75,000 for permanent disability.

Pakistan has been resorting to have shelling from across the border in Kashmir during the last five days and 70 villages in Uri, Gurez, Karnah, Keran, Machil and Kargil have been affected in the firing.

Shafi said the administration was fully geared to meet the situation caused by unprecedented shelling by Pakistani troops.

Ministers and senior officers are engaged in taking stock of the situation in different areas, interacting with the affected population, organising relief and rescue operations, shifting vulnerable population to safer places and keeping the morale of people high, he said.

Shafi said while the people in Uri town and other areas have displayed lot of courage and have stayed put in the area despite continued shelling, about 250 families have been shifted to Gantmulla and Bhella colonies where they are being looked after by the administration.

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Additional ambulances have been rushed alongwith doctors to the areas where this facility was found inadequate in view of the present situation.

While the Finance Minister has extensively toured Uri sector twice in the last few days, the local MLC, Mohammad Aslam, is camping at Uri for the last one week. Forest Minister, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan and Minister of State for Home Mushtaq Ahamad Lone have toured affected areas of Kupwara district.

The Minister of State for Roads and Building Yamar Ali Akhoon is camping at Kargil to supervise the relief measures.

Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitly and Director General of Police Gurbachan Jagat toured the affected areas on the next day of the firing.

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Security beefed up around Indian mission
Islamabad: In view of the surcharged atmosphere over firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and Siachen, police have deployed a heavy force and erected barbed wire fence around the Indian High Commission here.

The sources said these precautionary measures were taken to prevent any untoward incident.