A day after five members of a family were killed in Pakistani shelling, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today visited the affected village in Poonch district and handed over an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.
Mehbooba also handed over cheques of Rs 3 lakh each toward the educational expenses of the two daughters of the family who too were injured in yesterday's shelling incident in Balakote sector, an official spokesman said.
Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Javed Mustafa Mir and several legislators and senior civil, police and Army officers, Mufti announced that medical expenses of the injured girls would be taken care of by the government and assured a job to the brother of the deceased, the spokesperson said.
The chief minister announced the construction of 15 community bunkers in Balakote, stationing of one bulletproof vehicle and improving health facilities and road connectivity in the area, he added.
Earlier, Mehbooba had tweeted that she met the displaced families and victims of shelling. "Met with displaced families & (and) victims of shelling in Poonch this afternoon. A stark reminder that our future doesnt only depend on the conflicts that take place, but more so on the solutions we offer in response to them," she wrote.
Pakistani troops targeted border villages in Poonch district with mortar bombs yesterday, killing five members of a family, including three minor brothers, and injuring five Army personnel and two civilians.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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