Centre to reimburse J-K govt for relief to border victims

New Delhi [India] Feb 26 (ANI): The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday said that it will reimburse the Jammu and Kashmir Government the expenditure it incurred in providing relief to people affected due to cross-border firing and ceasefire violations.

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, said that the decision was taken following a request made to the MHA.

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for being extremely sensitive in promptly responding to demands from the border areas.

As per the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Centre would reimburse the fund paid as compensation by the J&K state government through SRE (Security Related Expenditure).

The order further noted that the state government might consider paying relief and compensation for housing damages/losses, crop losses or livestock losses, relief for stay at relief camps, displacement, etc. to those affected by cross-border firing, at the rates equal to the NDRF recommendations fixed from time to time.

Pakistan has repeatedly violated the formal ceasefire, agreed between India and Pakistan in January 2003 along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir.

Unprovoked attacks along the border on military outposts and civilian population have claimed numerous lives and have forced the army to temporarily resettle thousands of people in a safer place.(ANI)