NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma on Friday met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and raised issues concerning residents living along the International Border, including demands for ownership rights for refugees of 1965 and 1971 and compensation for land acquired for defence infrastructure.
The meeting was also attended by BJP National General Secretary, J&K in-charge and MP Tarun Chugh.
According to a BJP statement, Sharma informed the Defence Minister that a delegation of border residents, led by J&K BJP Kisan Morcha president Rakesh Pant, had recently sought permanent ownership rights for refugees of the 1965 and 1971 conflicts who have been residing in border areas for decades. The delegation also demanded fair compensation for agricultural land acquired by the Border Security Force (BSF) for border roads, fencing, bunkers and other defence infrastructure.
The delegation had further sought deployment of a joint team of Revenue and Defence officials to conduct an on-ground assessment of affected villages and recommend solutions to the issues faced by border residents.
According to the statement, Sharma urged the Union Government to address the demands, saying border residents have made significant sacrifices in the interest of national security and deserve justice and sustained developmental support.
Tarun Chugh said the Centre remains committed to the welfare of people living in border areas and expressed confidence that their concerns would receive due attention.
The statement said Rajnath Singh assured the delegation that the issues raised during the meeting would be examined and that appropriate decisions would be taken after due consideration.
