Following “surgical strikes” targeting terrorist “launch pads” across the Line of Control (LoC), Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday convened an emergency meeting with senior government officials in Chandigarh and directed them to immediately start the process of evacuation of the people residing in villages falling within 10 km of the International Border.
While monitoring the current situation in the wake of the strikes, Mr. Badal directed Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police (DGP) to ask the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) concerned to start and oversee the entire evacuation process in the border districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Amritsar, Taran Tarn, Gurdaspur and Pathankot, said an official statement.
“Chief Minister has directed the DCs to identify suitable location for setting up camps and ensure that none of any residents being evacuated was put to any sort of inconvenience or hardships,” the statement said.
The meeting was convened after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called up Mr. Badal on Thursday morning and requested him to start the process of evacuation of the people residing in the villages falling within 10 km of the International Border in view of the escalating situation.
The statement said that Mr. Badal has also spoken to the Cabinet Ministers and MLAs concerned to camp in these border districts in which their Assembly constituencies fall and liaison with the district administration to ensure the safe movement of the residents of the villages within the close proximity of international border.