New Army chief to visit J&K this month

NEW DELHI, June 7: In his first visit as Army Chief, Gen Bikram Singh will travel to Jammu and Kashmir later this month to review the security situation in the State.
The Army Chief will visit the State in the third week of June where he will discuss the security situation with top commanders there, Army officials said here.
It is familiar turf for Gen Singh who had served as the Commander of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, which handles all the counter terrorist operations in the Valley, and the 10 Division in Akhnoor.
During the visit to the formations under the Northern Command Headquarters in Udhampur, the Army Chief will be briefed about the prevailing situation there.
His visit is coming at a time when the violence levels in the state have come down significantly and demands are being made for the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
The State Government has also been contending that certain parts of the States are peaceful and the withdrawal of AFSPA from these areas would send the right signal to the people. (PTI)