![Raman Bhalla along with other JKPCC leaders addressing press conference at Jammu on Tuesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh Raman Bhalla along with other JKPCC leaders addressing press conference at Jammu on Tuesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Page5-2-13.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 19: Expressing serious concern over rising militancy, fresh infiltrations and presence of terrorists in border districts of Rajouri Poonch, Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has urged the LG administration to step up vigil of security forces and strengthening village defence mechanism in the vulnerable areas.
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Talking to media persons at the party headquarters, here today, JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla stressed that village defence mechanism should be strengthened in all remote & vulnerable areas including Narla- Sajali area of Kalakote, which witnessed fierce encounter last week resulting into killing of two terrorists and an Army jawan following which the villagers fear retaliation.
JKPCC Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, along with former Minister & District president Rajouri Shabir Ahmed Khan & PCC Spokesperson Kapil Singh were also present in the press conference.
“Anything can happen again as people fear retaliation in absence of an Army post and VDC with modern weapons,” they said
Bhalla said that there are fresh media reports of increased presence of terrorists in the twin border districts causing sense of insecurity amongst the people in remote areas. He said that Ravinder Sharma visited the area, a couple of days ago and observed the sense of insecurity amongst locals in areas of recent encounter, including Narla, Sajali Gala and other remote area of Kalakote.
Bhalla further said that Congress has written to the LG urging him to strengthen the village defense mechanism in vulnerable areas of Kalakote besides all such remote and far flung areas of the twin border districts.
Ravinder Sharma lamented that he failed to notice any security presence in the area just two days post encounter even as the area is still fear stricken. “The Government claims of deployment of forces and strengthen of Village defence mechanism with sophisticated weapons is totally missing,” he alleged.
Prem Lal Sharma, a shepherd of Sajali Gala in Narla area, who had provided timely information to Army that averted Dhangri type incident in the area, was also present in the press conference along with Naseer Ahmed Panch, Madan Lal, Krishan Lal, KIuldeep Kumar, Gulshan Kumar and several others from Poonch-Rajouri.
Former Minister Shabir Ahmed Khan, who is also Vice Chairman of DDC Rajouri, demanded immediate need to strengthen the administrative and security apparatus in the border region.