As many as 77 terrorists were killed and 12 arrested while trying to infiltrate into India from Pakistan last year, the government told Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The same figure for 2020 stood at 99 and 19 respectively, it said.
“Attempts of terrorist infiltration from across the border are mainly in Jammu and Kashmir which has been affected by terrorist violence, sponsored and supported from across-the border,” MoS Home Nityanand Rai said in reply to a question on infiltration even as he provided the above mentioned data.
Rai also informed the house that in 2021, as many as 42 security force personnel had died in terror violence while 117 were injured. The corresponding figures for the year 2020 were 62 and 106 respectively.
India and Pakistan had in February, 2021 decided to resume their obligations in the ceasefire agreement between the two countries and subsequently, incidents of firing on the Indo-Pak border have gone down considerably. This was supposed to have an impact on infiltration as well. However, security establishment sources say Pakistan has continued to push terrorists across the border.
In reply to another question on developments projects in Jammu and Kashmir, Rai said that government had taken several steps and initiatives for ensuring transparency and accountability in financial management and also in the implementation of projects.
According to Rai, these include Administrative Approvals, Technical Sanction and E-tendering being made mandatory for transparent execution of works; authorization of works/projects and resources allocation being made through BEAMS (Budget Estimation, Allocation & Monitoring System), which is real time and paperless; geo-tagged photographs of works (before and after execution) being made mandatory for making payments at the treasury; and all works/projects being implemented in the UT being in public domain for public feedback/suggestions to improve expenditure outcomes and ensuring involvement of people in development works.
“Financial Reforms and Interventions initiated recently have facilitated early completion of works/projects. During 2018-19 and 2019-20, 9229 and 12637 projects/works were completed respectively. Similarly, during 2020-21, 21943 works/projects were completed which shows significant increase as compared to the previous years. During current financial year 2021-22, 22975 works have already been completed upto January, 2022,” Rai said.
According to Rai, physical verification of all works/projects is regularly being done and with the assistance of NITI Aayog, Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework has been prepared for important centrally sponsored schemes/projects.