CHANDIGARH: There seems to be no end to the struggle of Jasbir Kaur, wife of Major Kanwaljit Singh, who was missing since 1971 Indo-Pak war and was declared martyr by the Centre. Fifteen-months after the Punjab and Haryana high court directed the Punjab government to allot her 10 acres cultivable land under special rules meant for the martyr of Indo-Pak war, the Punjab government has allotted her 10 acre 'useless' land across the fence on international border with Pakistan.The state's apathy could be gauged from the fact that the land allotted to her has no means of irrigation and even installation of tubewell on it is not permitted. Under the said rules, Punjab had offered to give up to 10 acres of cultivable land to the legal heirs of Army personnel who were killed during wars with China and Pakistan.However, the department of revenue recently allotted her 10 acre land situated across the border fence.According to Jasbir, there is no source of irrigation for the said land, nor do the authorities permit installation of any tubewell on it. Several restrictions are also imposed by BSF authorities in approaching the land even during day time.On May 26, 2016, she had sent a notice to revenue secretary Karan Bir Singh, calling upon him to re-allot the cultivable land to her, or in the alternative, pay her the price of 10 acre cultivable land, but he did not respond.Major Kanwaljit Singh is believed to have been captured from Hussainiwala sector on December 3, 1971 during the Indo-Pak war. He was also an awardee of Shaurya Chakra -- country's third highest gallantry award, for displaying gallantry and initiative of high order on February 2, 1971, when he repelled a grenade attack by Pakistani soldiers.

Source: Times of India September 01, 2016 23:15 UTC