Purchase of new vehicles banned, plan cut to Rs 100 cr
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 21: Union Home Secretary R K Singh today held a detailed review of security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir with Director General of Police (DGP), K Rajendra in about an hour long meeting this evening in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was likely to approve Rs 100 crore for modernization of Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) for current financial year of 2012-13 imposing a cut of 10 per cent. During last financial year, the MHA had given Rs 111 crore plan to the JKP. This year, police had sought Rs 113 crore for modernization.
Acting tough with JKP, the MHA has banned purchase of any new vehicle by the police during current financial year.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Mr Rajendra had his first meeting with Home Secretary R K Singh in New Delhi this evening after assuming the charge as the State police chief on June 1. The meeting lasted about an hour.
The latest issue of militant-police constables nexus, which has been unearthed by police in Kashmir recently, figured prominently in the meeting in view of dangerous repercussions such a nexus could have especially in view of reports that some attacks on surrendered militants, CRPF patrols and posts or even convoy of the Ministers could have been facilitated by four arrested constables.
The MHA has asked the DGP to hold an in-depth inquiry into the nexus and book all police constables, who had developed nexus with Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. The Home Ministry was of the view that such a nexus could prove dangerous as the constables were capable of leaking vital and strategic information to the militants.
Mr Rajendra assured Mr Singh that police have constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) under direct supervision of IGP Kashmir SM Sahai and SSP Srinagar Ashiq Bukhari to go into bottom of the case and take it to logical conclusion.
Sources said Mr Singh and Mr Rajendra also discussed security arrangements for upcoming Amarnath ji yatra from June 25 to August 2 and tourists, who have been flocking to Jammu and Kashmir in huge number this year.
While about 40,000 pilgrims were daily visiting holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi ji, a large number of tourists have thronged the Kashmir Valley. Rush of tourists to the valley was said to be the highest ever in last two decades. Rush of the pilgrim tourists was expected to pick-up further with the start of annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath ji from June 25.
The DGP briefed Mr Singh that all security arrangements were in place for Shri Amarnath and Mata Vaishno Devi ji pilgrims besides tourists of Kashmir. He said the militancy has been contained to quite an extent due to pressure put on them by security forces and police but admitted that a number of militants were still active in the State.
The State police chief told the Union Home Secretary that there had been virtual zero infiltration on the Line of Control (LoC) as well as International Border (IB) this year so far despite the fact that militants have made a series of intrusion bids.
Sources said the threat by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit to Sarpanches and Panches in the Kashmir valley also figured prominently in the meeting. Mr Rajendra told Mr Singh that efforts were on to identify the persons responsible for the threats and ensure safety of all civilians including the Panchayat members.
The Home Secretary was told that Pakistan authorities have refused to open gates this week at cross-LoC point for weekly cross-LoC bus service and trade at Chakan-Da-Bagh due to firing at the LoC.
The DGP used his meeting with the Home Secretary for taking up the cause of about 30,000 Special Police Officers (SPOs) in the State by seeking increase in their emoluments from Rs 3000 to Rs 5000. The proposal has been pending before the MHA for past quite sometime.
Earlier, Mr Rajendra, Additional DGP Headquarters Dr Shesh Pal Vaid and IGP Headquarters Arun Choudhary had a detailed meeting with a high level team of the Home Ministry seeking Rs 113 crore plan for 2012-13 for modernization of Jammu and Kashmir Police as against Rs 111 crore of last fiscal year.
The MHA team was led by Special Secretary, Home, Anil Goswami and comprised Joint Secretary (Finance), Joint Secretary (Modernization), Director Bureau of Police Research and Development and Director Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
Sources said the MHA team told State police officials that Union Government has asked for 10 per cent cut in modernization plan of all police forces of the State. However, a final decision would be conveyed to the State police in the next few days.
According to sources, the senior police officers were expecting about Rs 100 crore worth modernization plan for current financial year, a cut of about 10 per cent as against the previous year and Rs 13 crore less than the plan projected by the Police Headquarters.
The State police would be spending 50 per cent of modernization plan in housing sector including upgradation and raising infrastructure for police stations, police posts, sub divisions, battalion headquarters and residential flats for police.
Twenty five per cent of the plan would be used for purchasing new weapons including some with laser technology, which were non-lethal.
The Government has, however, directed police that no new vehicle should be purchased for the department during current financial year as a part of austerity measures. The Government of India has also banned purchase of new vehicles.
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