Realizing that the involvement of locals is a must to eradicate the menace of terrorism, authorities have decided to equip the Village Defence Guards (VDGs) with modern weapons to foil the nefarious designs of the terrorists in Jammu province.
Sources said that the government has decided to equip VDGs with advanced weapons and their remuneration will be increased.
This decision was taken after the recent terror attacks in the Dessa area of the Doda district, Basantgarh of Udhampur district, and Machaide and Saida Sohail village of Hirnagar tehsil in Kathua district.
On April 28, a member of the Village Defence Committee (VDC) guard was killed in a gunfight with terrorists in a remote village in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir.
VDG member Mohammad Sharief, a resident of Khaned, was critically injured in the firing and later succumbed to injuries.
Similarly, during the Hiranagar terror attack which lasted for 15 long hours, villagers fought the terrorists bravely with their weapons.
On Thursday VDG members foiled a terror attack in Doda
Armed with traditional 303 rifles, the VDG members foiled another attempt by the terrorists to attack civilians in the Dessa area of the Doda district on Thursday.
According to reports, a brief exchange of gunfire occurred late Wednesday evening in Malan village, located in the Dessa area of the Doda district. The shootout involved members of the Village Defence Guard (VDG) and terrorists.
Officials stated that the VDG members opened fire after spotting suspicious movements.
"It was a brief exchange of fire, and so far, there are no reports of any injuries. Security forces have been dispatched to the area, and a cordon and search operation is currently underway to track down the hiding terrorists," an official said.
Meanwhile, armed with 303 rifles, VDG members are assisting security forces in the Dessa forest of Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district in their search for the terrorists responsible for attacking an Army vehicle.
The VDGs have pledged to prevent the terrorists from escaping but emphasize the need for more advanced automatic rifles to effectively counter the heavily armed ultras.
Sources said that after these attacks authorities realized the strengthening of the VDGs to frustrate the nefarious designs of terror mentors sitting across the border to revive terrorism in peaceful areas of Jammu province.
303 rifles to be replaced with modern weapons
Reports said that the government is planning to replace the outdated .303 rifles currently used by VDGs with modern Self Loading Rifles (SLRs). This move aims to strengthen their ability to combat militant threats effectively, especially in light of recent terror attacks.
All VDGs will now receive a monthly honorarium. The Union Home Ministry will cover the entire cost under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) of Jammu and Kashmir. Previously, 4985 VDGs were sanctioned, with 4153 actively serving. This number is rising due to increased security efforts in areas like Udhampur, Doda, Reasi, Rajouri, and Poonch.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir Government, has decided that group leaders will receive Rs 4500, and other members will receive Rs 4000 per month. These payments will be directly deposited into their bank accounts.
According to the annual report of the home ministry for 2022-23, a total of 4,153 VDGs and 32,355 SPOs were engaged in Jammu and Kashmir in different responsibilities for the protection of civilians and anti-terrorists operations under the direct supervision of district superintendents of police or senior superintendents of police.
