POONCH: An official said on Wednesday that with peace reigning along the India–Pakistan border, a group of government representatives visited several villages in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district to look at potential tourist destinations.
An official spokesperson reported that Serian, Degwar, Maldyana, Nakarkote, Langoor Post, Noorkote, and Khari Karmara villages, which are located on the other side of the border fence but inside the Line of Control (LoC), were visited by Poonch Deputy Commissioner Yasin M. Choudhary.
According to the spokesperson, Choudhary was joined on his visit by Senior Superintendent of Police Vinay Kumar and other officials.
According to him, the mission of the trip was to engage with the local populace, evaluate the accessibility of essential services, and look into potential tourist attractions in the strongly fortified area.
The people who live along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) were greatly relieved when India and Pakistan announced implementation of a restored ceasefire along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir on February 25, 2021.
An original cease-fire agreement between India and Pakistan was reached in 2003, but Pakistan has repeatedly broken the terms of the accord, with over 5,000 violations reported in 2020 being the most in a single year.
The Centre had authorised the construction of 14,460 individual and communal bunkers in five districts of Jammu, Kathua, and Samba in December 2017 to shield border communities from Pakistani bombardment. The villages in Poonch and Rajouri along the LoC as well as the villages along the IB were all covered by these bunkers.
Over 4,000 additional bunkers were later authorised by the government for the vulnerable people.
The Ajote War Memorial was also visited by the deputy commissioner of Poonch and his crew, who indicated a wish to keep it open to the public.
He asked Mohammad Tanveer Khan, the chief executive officer of the Poonch Development Authority, to promote tourism in the region and make sure that the general public is aware of the courageous warriors’ story in light of the importance of the memorial and the sacrifices they made.
According to the spokeswoman, the deputy commissioner also disclosed plans to soon erect the country’s flag at the memorial.
The official continued, “The deputy commissioner heard the people’s complaints and reaffirmed his commitment to address them in order of priority.”
The official added that he also carefully examined the underground bunkers built in the region for the residents’ safety and security.
