Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday, May 7, to assess the situation in border districts following the alleged indiscriminate shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) by the Pakistan Army.
According to officials, the Chief Minister chaired the meeting via video conference with Deputy Commissioners of all border districts to review the impact of the shelling and evaluate preparedness.
"The situation and readiness to handle emergencies were reviewed in light of recent developments and rising tensions, particularly along the LoC and areas near the international border," officials said. The meeting was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta, Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, and top officials from the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Health & Medical Education departments, along with Deputy Commissioners from Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Samba, Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister reportedly ordered the immediate release of contingency funds — Rs 5 crore for each border district and Rs 2 crore for other districts — enabling Deputy Commissioners to respond effectively to emergencies. He emphasised prioritising frontier districts for fund allocation. Highlighting the need to protect civilian lives, he called for strengthened infrastructure, including shelters and bunkers, evacuation preparedness, and sufficient stockpiling of essential food supplies.
On the medical front, the Chief Minister directed the Health Department to ensure the availability of essential medicines, deploy adequate medical staff, and maintain a ready supply of blood in hospitals, particularly in high-risk areas. He also instructed that ambulances be stationed in districts affected by the shelling to ensure prompt transportation of the injured.
Expressing grief over the loss of civilian lives and injuries, the Chief Minister asked Deputy Commissioners to extend all necessary support to affected families. He also directed the immediate filling of vacant posts of Tehsildars and other key officials to ensure smooth administrative response.
Deputy Commissioners briefed the CM on their district-level preparedness, assuring that emergency measures were in place and essential supplies stocked. They also committed to keeping the administration updated on emerging needs.
In closing, CM Omar Abdullah urged all officers to actively counter misinformation and rumour-mongering. He appealed to the public to rely only on verified, official sources for updates during this sensitive period.
With inputs from IANS. Edited for clarity and style.