Home Secy to chair meet today, Shah tomorrow
Rlys security reviewed at high-level meet in Delhi
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 11: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has called two high-level meetings for review of security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir in the Union capital for two days on April 12 and 13 even as it specifically reviewed Railways security in the Union Territory today.
The MHA meeting on April 12 will be chaired by Home Secretary A K Bhalla and on April 13 by Home Minister Amit Shah.
The review meetings come ahead of G20 Working Group on Tourism meeting in Srinagar, annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji shrine and tourist season. Anti-militancy operations, strengthening of Border Security Grid and preventing any kind of terror strike including selective killings of non-locals by the militants ahead of G20 meeting will also figure at the meeting, official sources told the Excelsior.
LG Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Dr Arun Mehta, Home Secretary R K Goyal, DGP Dilbag Singh and DG CID R R Swain will attend the meeting from J&K among others, sources said, adding that heads of paramilitary forces will join from New Delhi. Other senior functionaries from Central Government are also likely to be present.
In the meeting held today, the Union Home Ministry held specific review of security measures of Railway tracks, stations and all installations in Jammu and Kashmir with top Railways officials Incharge Jammu and Kashmir and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Railways Sunil Kumar. Senior officers of Northern Railways, whose jurisdiction extends up to Jammu and Kashmir Railways were also present at the meeting.
Sources said a threadbare review of providing fool-proof security to railway passengers in Jammu and Kashmir including Lakhanpur to Katra in Jammu division and then from Banihal to Budgam in Kashmir valley came up for review at the high-level meeting attended by top officials of the Union Home Ministry.
Trains to Jammu have already started witnessing heavy rush of passengers especially that of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji pilgrims as the months from April to October are considered as peak season for the yatra.
Sources said the Union Home Ministry wants security measures further intensified all along railway track from Lakhanpur to Jammu especially the track which falls close to the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. Security arrangements of all other vital installations of Railways and all Railway Stations will also be intensified.
As far as security review meetings called by the Union Home Ministry on the situation of Jammu and Kashmir on April 12 and 13 are concerned, sources said they will primarily focus on G20 meeting in Srinagar from May 22-25, which will be first major international event in the Valley post abrogation of special status of J&K, annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji shrine which is likely to start from June end and last till August end, tourist season which is witnessing very heavy rush of people from across the country as well as abroad, further intensification of anti-militancy operations and strengthening of Anti-Infiltration Grid to ensure that Pakistan isn’t able to send militants into this side to cause terror strike ahead of the major international event.
Specialized Force and anti-drone technology from New Delhi will be deployed in Srinagar and tourist places where G20 delegates will visit. Additional paramilitary forces from within the Union Territory will also be relocated and deployed in Srinagar, Gulmarg and other vulnerable areas to ensure peaceful meeting.
As additional paramilitary forces for annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji yatra also start reaching Jammu and Kashmir early June, some of the companies could reach in advance for deployment during G20 meeting. However, a decision on this will be taken at the high-level meeting over next two days, sources said.
The Intelligence agencies have reports that the militants and their mentors sitting in Pakistan are badly frustrated due to elimination of militants especially their top commanders and their inability to strike in the Valley. In such a situation, the militants could strike at soft targets ahead of G20 meeting, which is a major international event in the Valley, they added and said all these issues will figure in the Home Ministry’s meeting.
The Intelligence agencies are of the view that there is also little presence of militants in some districts of the Jammu region and they could also strike there just for the sake of making a news ahead of G20 meeting. Worthwhile to mention here that two Pakistani militants involved in carnage of seven members of minority community, two of them minors, at Dhangri in Rajouri district remained untraced even after more than three months of the killings.
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