SRINAGAR, 19 April 2006 — The Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday asked for reinforcement from the federal government to augment the strength of existing central forces in the insurgency-torn state.
This was disclosed by union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal at a press conference here yesterday after attending a high profile meeting of senior Indian Army, paramilitary, police and civil officials.
“The demand is event based. This is the time we have to review the internal security on the eve of the by-elections being held here on April 24, the state government offices are also reopening here after the six-month recess, the annual Amarnath yatra is also beginning in June. All these things require we review the overall situation in the state,” Duggal said.
The Indian home secretary said that in spite of the CBMs, training camps across the border are florishing.
“In spite of all the CBMs between India and Pakistan, training camps across the border are flourishing. We have the numbers of those who have been trained in these camps and also the numbers of those who are planning to infiltrate into the state. We are ready to meet that challenge,” Duggal told mediapersons here after the meeting.
The home secretary said that trade would shortly be started on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route.
“The required road conditions have to be achieved and we have also to put the scanning equipments in place to secure the trade through this route,” he said. He asserted that despite hiccups the travel through the route had continued.
The home secretary while replying to questions said militancy related incidents in the state had come down from 489 last year to 374 in the corresponding period this year. “The number of incidents has come down, but militancy has not ended,” he said.
On recent serial blasts in capital city the home secretary said, “Srinagar is the nerve center of the state and also of the whole country. We are absolutely determined that everything possible would be done to ensure that Srinagar and J&K has absolute peace. We have also neutralized a sizeable number of terrorists,” he said.
The team of central officials also took stock of the reconstruction measures being taken by the state government to rehabilitate the victims of last year’s Oct. 8 earthquake.
“The center has released over Rs. 3 billion in favor of the state. The state has sent proposals for more than 7 billion. An inter-ministerial committee has been set up and more funds would be released to the state after the decision of this committee,” Duggal said.
