Nearly half of central funds for border bunkers in J&K lie unused, reveals RTI

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has not utilised nearly half of the central funds allocated for building underground bunkers for border residents over the last five years, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application.

The revelation comes amid heightened calls for civilian safety, following last month's Operation Sindoor and the intense cross-border shelling.

Responding to the Right To Information application filed by Jammu-based activist Raman Kumar, the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department said, an amount of Rs 242.77 crore was given to the Union Territory administration headed by the Lt Governor between 2020-21 and 2024-25. However, 46.58 per cent of the money remains unspent.

It said Rajouri district accounted for the highest utilisation of funds to the tune of Rs 78.05 crore followed by Poonch (Rs 44.56 crore), Samba (Rs 42.09 crore), Kathua (37.20 crore), Jammu (17.51 crore), Kupwara (Rs 14.85 crore), Bandipora (Rs 4.33 crore) and Baramulla (Rs 4.15 crore).

India shares a 3,323-km border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the International Border (IB) and 744 km of the Line of Control (LoC) fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

On February 25, 2021, India and Pakistan announced the implementation of a renewed ceasefire along the borders of Jammu and Kashmir, which came as a major relief to the people living along the IB and the LoC.

India and Pakistan had initially signed a ceasefire agreement in 2003, but Pakistan frequently violated the agreement, with more than 5,000 violations reported in 2020 - the highest in a single year.

The Centre initially sanctioned the construction of 14,460 individual and community bunkers for Rs 415.73 crore for border residents facing Pakistani shelling along the LoC and the IB in 2018-19.

While 7,298 bunkers were sanctioned for the population along the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri, 7,162 underground bunkers got approved for villages along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts.

Later, the government sanctioned more than 4,000 bunkers to cover a more vulnerable population, including the areas falling in the north Kashmir districts of Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara.

According to Jammu and Kashmir chief secretary Atal Dulloo, so far, 9,500 bunkers have been set up along the India-Pakistan border in the Union Territory.

The bunkers proved to be a lifesaver for the border residents during the intense Pakistani shelling last month, minimising human loss, even as massive damage was caused to residential houses, besides the loss of livestock.

Sharing the reply of the Home Department, Kumar expressed surprise over the non-utilisation of funds during the relatively peaceful years along the borders.

"Only 53.42 per cent of the funds were utilised between 2020-21 and 2024-25," he said.

The Home Department said, "Total funds amounting to Rs 24,277.85 lakh (Rs 242.778 crore) have been given by the government of India to the government of Jammu and Kashmir through the Finance Department J&K during the financial year 2020-21 till date for construction of bunkers for civilians in border districts of Jammu and Kashmir."

It said, an amount of Rs 6,918.31 was released for 2020-21, Rs 4,170 for 2021-22, Rs 8,189.54 for 2022-23 and Rs 2,500 each for 2023-24 and 2024-25.

However, the reply said that the J&K administration has only spent Rs 12,967.869 lakh (Rs 129.678 crore) for the construction of bunkers for civilians -- Rs 4,881.108 lakh in 2020-21, Rs 3,318.548 lakh in 2021-22, Rs 2,275.313 lakh in 2022-23, Rs 846.64 lakh in 2023-24, and Rs 1,646.26 lakh in 2024-25.

A total of 27 people, mostly civilians, lost their lives and 70 were injured in intense Pakistani shelling and drone attacks on forward villages in Jammu and Kashmir after Indian armed forces launched missile strikes on terror infrastructure across the border during the intervening night of May 6 and 7 under Operation Sindoor to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam attack that left 25 tourists and a local service provider dead.

Poonch and Rajouri accounted for most of the civilian casualties, prompting requests for the construction of more safety bunkers along the borders.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the shelling-hit areas in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions within two days after India and Pakistan reached an understanding to halt military actions with immediate effect on May 10. He asserted that his government will formulate a policy to build individual bunkers for the people.

"Community bunkers had been built, but they were not used for so long. No new bunker has come up in many years. Wherever I went, people said we should build individual bunkers," he said.

"The government will frame a policy on that, and a scheme will be formulated for the people in these areas which are closer to the LoC and the border, and that would then be taken up with the central government," he added.

He said the community bunkers are a lifeline during moments of crisis.

"We will ensure the construction of more such safer spaces to protect and support our people living in border areas," he said.