JAMMU, May 28: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address the BSF jawans at their Unit Headquarters at Khanetar and families affected by Pakistan shelling at Dak Bungalow in the border district of Poonch during his visit there on May 30. He will also distribute appointment letters among next of kin of those killed in the shelling.Shah is also scheduled to visit religious places which were targeted by Pakistan army and were damaged in the shelling.
Officials told the Excelsior that the Home Minister will reach here tomorrow evening and will hold high-level review of security situation with LG Manoj Sinha and top officials of MHA, Army, paramilitary forces, police, intelligence agencies and civil administration. Heads of BSF, CRPF, Intelligence Bureau, NIA and other security and Intelligence agencies are expected to reach here to attend the meeting.
Top Commanders of the Army will also join.
Situation during ongoing Operation Sindoor besides security scenario including anti-terror operations and anti-infiltration grid will also come up for high-level review at the meeting. Shri Amarnath yatra arrangements will also figure prominently.
On May 30, Shah will leave for the border district of Poonch where he is scheduled to address the BSF jawans as well as civilians badly affected by Pakistan shelling on the intervening night of May 7 and 8 soon after Indian Armed Forces under Operation Sindoor smashed nine terror infrastructures deep inside Pakistan and PoJK.
Sources said he will address the civilians affected by Pakistan shelling at Dak Bungalow Poonch and the BSF soldiers at their Unit Headquarters at Khanetar, about nine kilometers from Poonch town. The BSF also played major role in Operation Sindoor.
The Home Minister will also visit the religious places damaged in the shelling. He is scheduled to distribute appointment letters among next of kin of civilians killed in the shelling.A total of 13 civilians lost their lives in the shelling including four children, two of them siblings while three religious places were damaged. Besides, a number of houses and business establishments were also devastated as Pakistan army had directly targeted civilian areas with long range mortar shelling.
In neighbouring Rajouri, JKAS officer Dr Raj Kumar Thapa and two civilians were killed in the shelling.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, during his visit to Poonch last week, had announced one Government job each for next of kin of those killed in shelling. He also stated that the Central Government will announce package for the damage caused to houses and business structures.
Sources said the package by the Central Government for damage caused to civilian houses and business establishments could either be announced by Shah at the end of his two-day visit or after returning to New Delhi.
They said the package is almost final and is expected to be announced by the Union Home Minister.
This will be the third visit of the Home Minister to J&K since April 6 and first after the Indian Armed Forces struck terror infrastructure and military installations deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir under Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.After conducting a three-day tour on April 6, Shah again visited Kashmir on April 22, immediately after the Pahalgam attack.
