*Cross-LoC travel, IB situation high on agenda
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 8: The Central Government will hold high level review of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir including the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) and initiate steps to ease cross-LoC trade and travel restrictions on Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad routes during the three days visit of Union Home Secretary LC Goyal and a high level delegation of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) beginning tomorrow.
He will hold two separate security review meetings in Jammu and Srinagar and also call on Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed separately to take their view point on the situation and brief them on the Centre’s feedback of security scenario, official sources told the Excelsior.
Goyal accompanied by Joint Secretaries MHA-Rajat Punhani (Incharge Jammu and Kashmir Affairs) and HK Makwaha (Incharge Border Management)-will arrive here tomorrow morning along with other senior officers of the MHA and para-military forces and straightway fly to forward border post of Octroi in Suchetgarh sector along the International Border (IB) for on spot review of the situation.
This is first high level review of border situation by the Government of India after takeover of PDP-BJP coalition Government on March 1. Two recent terror attacks by the militants after infiltration from across the border at Kathua and Samba districts on a police station and Army camp on March 20 and 21, more attempts by the militants to cross over and steps taken by the BSF to curb the intrusion bids would come up for high level review in the meeting Goyal and his team would hold on the IB with top brass of BSF and other security agencies at 10.30 am tomorrow.
The proposal to construct embankment along the IB to plug the infiltration routes and other measures required to check infiltration of the militants from Pakistan especially from the Nullahs would also be discussed, sources said, adding the MHA was also keen on protection of the border people and would dwell on their safety measures during Pakistan firing especially allotment of 5 marla plots to them in safer zones and construction of concrete bunkers for them on the borders.
“The MHA is ready to fund construction of concrete bunkers on the IB and pay for allotment of 5 marla plots to the border people in safer zones, the land for which has mostly been identified in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts,” sources said.
The Home Secretary will hold high level review of security situation in Jammu region along with top brass of Army including 16 Corps Commander Lt Gen KH Singh, 9 Corps Commander Lt Gen Rajeev Bakshi, Tiger Division Commander GOC Maj Gen Dushyant Singh and heads of BSF, CRPF, police, Intelligence Bureau, SSB, civil administration and all other security and Intelligence agencies operating in the region.
Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey and Director General of Police (DGP) K Rajendra will also be present in both the security review meetings in Jammu and Srinagar.
Goyal along with the MHA delegation will hold another high level security review of situation in the Kashmir valley on April 10 in Srinagar in which GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha and GOC 14 Corps (Leh) Lt Gen BS Negi apart from all Kashmir based heads of para-military forces, police, Intelligence agencies and civil administration will be present.
Arrangements for peaceful summer to ensure smooth flow of tourists and Amarnath Yatra will also figure in the meeting apart from militancy related situation.
Apart from security review, the MHA delegation will hold separate meeting on relief and rehabilitation arrangements for September 2014 and March 2015 flood victims in Srinagar on April 10 afternoon.
On April 10 morning, the MHA teams led by the Home Secretary will fly to cross-LoC point of Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch followed by Salamabad in Baramulla to review arrangements and measures required for easing cross-LoC travel and trade restrictions on Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad routes.
“There have been demands from the traders dealing with cross-LoC trade and people intending for travel to meet their divided families on either side of the LoC to ease restrictions. Further, the MHA was also concerned about smuggling of narcotics and other undesirable elements in the grab of trade. The MHA will discuss steps required to curb such practices,” sources said, adding the Centre wants to boost trade and travel on the two cross-LoC routes but without compromising the security situation.
The Union Home Secretary will have one-to-one meeting with Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan in the evening and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at the Civil Secretariat here in the afternoon tomorrow.
He will assess requirements of the State and share with them the security perception and relief and rehabilitation arrangements for floods.
“Several other issues would also come up for discussion during the two meetings,” sources said.
The MHA delegation will have night halt in Jammu on April 9 and Srinagar on April 10 before flying back to New Delhi on April 11.
Only yesterday, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed them with various aspects of Jammu and Kashmir situation including Rs 44,000 crores worth flood relief package submitted to the MHA by previous NC-Congress Government after September floods. The MHA is yet to take a decision on the package.
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