Punjab CM wants areas bordering Pak be made war-resilient

Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Thursday sought the construction of bunkers for those living in areas near India-Pakistan border and alternate routes for commuting in order to make bordering districts war-resilient.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in a meeting with a delegation of central government think tank NITI Aayog and emphasising on the need to make border districts war-resilient in the wake of the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Mann raised this issue along with other matters with the delegation as he sought support to ensure comprehensive development of the state.

During deliberations with the team led by NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand and programme director Sanjeet Singh, Mann said it is the high time that the Aayog should generously help the state in preserving its rich legacy in terms of water and agriculture.

He said the state shares 553 kilometers of the international border with Pakistan and six border districts -- Amritsar, Tarn-Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Ferozepur and Fazilka.

However, Mann bemoaned that special incentives to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir by the central government had adversely impacted the economy of border districts in Punjab.

Mann said the border districts of Punjab need to be supported on the lines of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and J&K to revitalize the state's trade and industrial sector.

Seeking a special incentive package for border districts, he batted for establishment of agro food processing zones in each border district of Punjab with a special focus on basmati rice industry and horticultural produce like litchi and others.

He also advocated for upgradation of existing focal points in border districts and establishing an exhibition-cum-convention centre at Amritsar.

The CM said Punjab needs to be incentivised so as to cater to the needs of the local populace in border villages and towns.

He said that recent skirmish with Pakistan highlighted the need for making border districts war-resilient and said bunkers should be constructed for city population.

Alternate connecting routes to border villages and emergency operations centre (EOC) should be set up along with state-of-the-art response command and control centre in each district, while sensors for street lights and trauma centres in border cities should be equipped with secondary and tertiary care.

Likewise, Mann said communication equipment and secure lines for seamless communication with the Air Force, Army and BSF establishments should be ensured, cyber security measures should be strengthened, resource mapping through GatiShakti and capacity building of district civil defence and disaster response workforce should be ensured.

On May 7, India carried out pre-dawn missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

Following the Indian action, Pakistan launched an offensive against Indian military bases and resorted to shelling in border areas for the next three days.

Mann also sought Production Linked Incentive scheme for agri sector, tax benefits for textile sector, freight subsidy for industry and subsidized interest rate on term loans and working capital for businesses in border districts.

He also underscored the need for an upward revision of compensation to farmers having land between the international border and border fence, asserting that more than 17,000 acres of land fall in between them.

Mann said present compensation is given to farmers at a rate of Rs 10,000 per acre per year, which should be enhanced to Rs 30,000 per acre annually, adding that instead of sharing between Centre and state, this should be totally paid by the central government as these bravehearts are working for making the country self-reliant in food production.

In order to strengthen the second line of defence in border regions, the CM also laid thrust on fortifying the border wing home guards scheme to cover all 2,107 border villages.

He also sought enhancement of duty allowance from present Rs 45 per day per jawan (fixed in 1999) to at least Rs 655 per day per jawan, adding that it is imperative for better coordination between border villages and the border security force.

Mann also sought Rs 2,829 crore for upgradation of infrastructure and equipment, including mobile signal jammers to check the smuggling of weapons and drugs through drones.

Mann said that it is important as more than 4/5th of the entire border is without jamming systems thereby posing a major threat to unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country.

He also batted for a revision of the vibrant village programme of the Union government to benefit more border villages of the state.

He said Punjab's border districts are heavily populated as compared to those in other states, with 1,500 villages within 10 km of the border, out of which only 101 villages are selected under the scheme.

Talking about industries, Mann highlighted initiatives taken by the state government in terms of time bound service delivery. He sought freight subsidy for Punjab -- a landlocked state -- and introduction of a scheme on lines of the export promotion capital goods (EPCG) scheme for small manufacturers.

He also demanded a special economic package for the state comprising Rs 2,000 crore for Special Economic Zone, development of industrial corridors along the Bharat Mala Project, extension of Semiconductor Lab (SCL) in Mohali, expansion of software technology parks (STPI) in Mohali and development of dedicated sector-specific export zones in Punjab, including Amritsar for food processing, Ludhiana for textiles and Mohali for automobile parks.