R.S. Pura (Jammu): Frontier villagers displaced by the latest cross-border flare-up say they are afraid to return home and have demanded early sanction of the "promised" plots in safer zones and the construction of underground bunkers.
"With folded hands, we want to say that we are not safe even in our homes as shells pierce the roofs and walls," said Krishna Devi, 75, at one of the three relief camps the state government has set up.
"We should be helped on humanitarian grounds," the resident of Abdullian village added, issuing an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sudesh Kumari, another of the 150 inmates of the camp at the Indian Training Institute complex here, said: "We have been receiving only hollow promises and unabated firing from Pakistan over the past four years. The government needs to provide us the promised five marlas of land away from the firing zone."
Ruling ally BJP had promised five marlas or 6,806sqft of land in a safe place for each border-dwelling family during the campaign for the December 2014 Assembly elections.
But last year, the Centre told the Assembly that it would build bunkers in the border districts instead of allotting land, since shifting the population would hurt the interests of the state and the nation.
Last month, the Centre sanctioned the construction of 14,460 underground bunkers for Jammu's border villagers at a cost of Rs 415.73 crore.
"Our lives have become hell," said Kumari, a resident of Beghwara Choga, who had lost her brother Ghar Singh to Pakistani shelling in Bhera village on Saturday.
Altogether 12 people - including three soldiers, two BSF men and two teenagers -have been killed and 50-odd others injured in cross-border firing in Jammu since Thursday.
Kumari said she and her family had had a narrow escape while fleeing from their village to the relief camp: a tree came between their vehicle and a mortar shell. "Had the shell not landed on the tree, it would have hit our vehicle," she said.
Suneeta, another inmate, said: "We are living a life of uncertainty with no future. During firing, we are unable to help even our children move to safety." She added: "The lurking threat of Pakistani shelling is taking a toll on our mental health."
Kastoori Lal said several ministers had visited the camp and promised help. PTI
