Nearly half of Central funds for border bunkers in Jammu and Kashmir 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.