Remote block along LoC in J&K connected by all-weather roads for the first time

Khwas, a remote block situated in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district along the Line of Control (LoC) has not experienced any terrorism-related incidents in the past year, according to a presentation made by Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Sharma.
| Photo Credit: X@WorksDepartment

Khwas, a remote block situated in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), has not experienced any terrorism-related incidents in the past year, according to a presentation made by Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Sharma on April 21.

The change comes after four panchayats in the block were connected by road for the first time under the Union government’s Aspirational Block Programme.

Follow Pahalgam terror attack updates on April 26

Since 2021, after a lull of two decades, the Jammu region, which includes the Chenab Valley comprising Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Kathua, Udhampur, and Reasi districts; and the area to the south of the Pir Panjal range, comprising Rajouri and Poonch districts, has seen a resurgence in terrorist activities. This region was a hotbed of militancy in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Mr. Sharma spoke on the Khwas block — an area spanning 2.63 sq. km., with the LoC forming its western boundary, and the Pir Panjal mountains to the north — at an event organised by the Department of Administration and Public Grievances on the occasion of Civil Services Day. He said Khwas is one of the remotest blocks in the country, with a literacy rate of 41%, and a population of 35,212 (2011 Census).

“Before the Aspirational Block Programme was launched, four out of 15 panchayats did not have any road connectivity with the block and district headquarters. This resulted in a cycle of poverty and terrorism,” Mr. Sharma said.

Markanar panchayat, for instance, is located 121 km from the district headquarters of Rajouri, and it took three hours to trek to the village. The officer said the terrain and its remoteness were among the factors for terrorism in the Khwas area.

“It was highest in the number of terror incidents. Because of security issues, there was lack of monitoring of projects on the ground, no audit was done, no senior official would visit the block, and there was no connect with the people of the block,” Mr. Sharma said.

The tribal Bakarwal community migrates down to the plains in the winters with livestock, moving up again in the summer months.

“When we analysed the situation, it emerged that the fundamental issue for low literacy rate was connectivity. Highest funds under government schemes were allotted to the block. All panchayats and villages are now connected by all-weather roads for the first time since Independence. For the past one year, no terrorist incident has occurred in the block. We discussed [this] with the security forces. They can reach any village now,” Mr. Sharma said.

He said there was an overall change in the security paradigm due to road and Internet connectivity. “Communication was a key issue. Khwas is 100% tribal, entire schemes could not reach the people because of the language barrier. We translated all the schemes to the Gojri language…four panchayats are yet to be connected with Internet. Under the 4G saturation scheme, BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) has started installing towers. In few months, the areas will be connected by 4G Internet,” the officer said.

The Aspirational Block Programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2023 to cover 500 of the most backward blocks located in 328 districts of 27 States and four Union Territories.