Over 23,000 bunkers being constructed along IB in Kathua: Minister

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JAMMU: Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh on Sunday said over 23,000 individual and community bunkers would be constructed near the International Border in the Hiranagar sector in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir for protection of people from cross-border firing.

"A total of 19,000 individual bunkers and 4,700 community bunkers will be constructed in Hiranagar near IB to safeguard the lives of border-dwellers and their livestock during cross-border firing (by Pakistan)," Singh said, addressing a function in Kathua district.

He said development projects by the central government were limited not only to urban areas but rural population is also getting its due share.

The 'border area toilets' project, the work on which was started in collaboration with 'Sulabh Shauchalaya' along the IB in Hiranagar tehsil, is a path-breaking initiative to accomplish the task through voluntary involvement of various stakeholders, the MoS in the Prime Minister's Office said.

Earlier, Singh laid the foundation for improvement and upgradation of 14.70 km Samba-Kathua road under the Central Road Fund at a cost of Rs 15 crore at Saktey Chak village.

The road would start from the take up point at village Saktey Chak and move through Mahi Chak, Badala, Tharyara, Sumwan, Padyari, Changran villages and connect to Kathua town besides providing alternative connectivity to the large rural area with Kathua town and national highway.

Singh said Shahpur-Kandi and Ujh multipurpose project would prove to be game changers in de-stressing the water- stressed areas of Kathua and Samba districts.

"Kathua is bestowed with ample natural resources and it has the potential to become an industrial hub like Surat in Gujarat," he said.