In a revelation that raises serious concerns about the safety preparedness for border residents, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has reportedly failed to utilize nearly half of the Central funds allocated for the construction of underground bunkers over the last five years. The information was disclosed through a Right to Information (RTI) application, highlighting significant underutilization despite recent cross-border hostilities.

According to the response provided by the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department, the Union Territory administration, led by the Lieutenant Governor, received ₹242.77 crore between 2020–21 and 2024–25 for the construction of bunkers in border areas. However, only 53.42% of the funds have been spent so far, leaving 46.58% unutilized.

The revelation comes shortly after Operation Sindoor, a military response by Indian forces on May 6–7 targeting terror infrastructure across the border, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives, including 25 tourists. The operation triggered intense shelling from Pakistan, making the need for protective civilian infrastructure more urgent than ever.

District-Wise Utilization Breakdown

Among the districts, Rajouri recorded the highest utilization at ₹78.05 crore, followed by:

• Poonch – ₹44.56 crore

• Samba – ₹42.09 crore

• Kathua – ₹37.20 crore

• Jammu – ₹17.51 crore

• Kupwara – ₹14.85 crore

• Bandipora – ₹4.33 crore

• Baramulla – ₹4.15 crore

These districts lie along the 221 km International Border (IB) and 744 km Line of Control (LoC) that India shares with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir—areas prone to frequent ceasefire violations.

The Funding Timeline

In response to the RTI filed by activist Raman Sharma, the department revealed the following fund disbursal timeline:

• ₹69.18 crore in 2020–21

• ₹41.70 crore in 2021–22

• ₹81.89 crore in 2022–23

• ₹25 crore each in 2023–24 and 2024–25

Against this, the actual expenditure was:

• ₹48.81 crore (2020–21)

• ₹33.18 crore (2021–22)

• ₹22.75 crore (2022–23)

• ₹8.46 crore (2023–24)

• ₹16.46 crore (2024–25)

Bunker Coverage and Ceasefire Context

The Central Government had originally approved the construction of 14,460 individual and community bunkers in 2018–19 at a cost of ₹415.73 crore, targeting border populations exposed to Pakistani shelling.

• 7,298 bunkers were sanctioned for LoC villages in Poonch and Rajouri

• 7,162 bunkers were allocated to IB villages in Jammu, Kathua, and Samba

Later, more than 4,000 additional bunkers were approved to cover the vulnerable northern districts of Baramulla, Bandipora, and Kupwara.

As of now, 9,500 bunkers have been completed, according to J&K Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo.

Notably, a renewed ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, announced on February 25, 2021, initially brought relief to border communities. However, recent escalations—including Operation Sindoor and retaliatory shelling—have reignited calls for comprehensive civilian protection infrastructure.

Civilians Caught in the Crossfire

The urgency of constructing protective shelters has intensified following last month’s shelling, which resulted in 27 civilian deaths and over 70 injuries. The bulk of these casualties occurred in Poonch and Rajouri, pushing residents and local leaders to demand accelerated bunker construction and effective utilization of allocated funds.

The underutilization of nearly half the sanctioned funds during relatively peaceful years raises concerns about administrative delays, planning inefficiencies, and the potential impact on vulnerable populations during future hostilities.