Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 9: The removal of toll-plaza at Lakhanpur-the gateway of Jammu and Kashmir may prove counter-productive on account of security viewpoint as the anti-social and anti-national elements are now have least scrutiny to cross the border. The decision of Union government to remove the toll-plaza at Lakhanpur was welcomed by several quarters, especially the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) but the removal of toll-plaza along with check-posts of various agencies, have been proving a good signal for the elements, detrimental to peace of the country. “At Lakhanpur toll-plaza, all the goods’ vehicles had to stay for clearance, during which the sleuths of Excise department, State Tax, Forest department, Veterinary department have been checking the documents and if required the goods were also frisked”, sources said, adding that it was during the frisking of the goods loaded in the vehicles, time and again illegal items were recovered. Even militants were also arrested at Lakhanpur along with arms and ammunition, whereas drug-trafficking, narcotics items, banned forest produce, polythene carry bags, bovines and many other illegally transported items had been recovered at Lakhanpur during the frisking of the trucks. “With the removal of toll-plaza, now the vehicles have not be stopped there, due to which there will be no checking of the vehicles and the illegal activities will be running freely there”, a local of Lakhanpur said, adding that though Jammu and Kashmir police has established a police Naka there but the minimal police personnel would not be able to frisk the vehicles as well as goods loaded in them. “Earlier also, proposals was mooted by government to install scanners at the toll-posts, so that complete vehicle would be scanned but no such system is in place and government will have to do something, so that anti-national elements, detrimental to peace of state as well as country, will not be able to succeed in their nefarious designs”, an official said. |