State cold to soldiers’ sacrifice

Actually, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and some Cabinet colleagues were in Jammu during the time. Fernandes had come here to attend the birth centenary celebrations of Brigadier Rajinder Singh who sacrifised his life while repulsing the Pakistani attack on Kashmir during 1947.

Let alone attending to formalities the state Government is yet to announce any ex-gratia for their families. Neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana have already announced relief measures for their martyrs.

However, an officialspokesman pointed out that a State provision for a Rs 2 lakh compensation to families of Army, para military and police personnel killed in anti-militancy operations was already in place. This fund is also permitted to be accessed for operations like Kargil, he said. He added that there was even a proposal for enhancing the amount to Rs 5 lakh and the matter was pending with the Central Government.

Besides, the Government was also issuing orders asking all the Deputy Commissioners to represent it during the last rites of the martyrs in their respective districts, he said.

Among the Kargil dead is Subhedar Bahadur Singh of J&K Light Infantry, who along with his unit was on way to Delhi after completing the two years tenure at Bana post in Siachen. An advance party had already left for Delhi, said his son Pawan Kumar at his residence in Digiana near here.

“We were waiting for him at home as he was expected to visit us on way to Delhi,” Pawan said. But the unit had hardly crossed Leh when hostilitiesbroke out between India and Pakistan in Kargil sector.