S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
KUPWARA, June 8: Amid complete shutdown, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today visited this border district of north Kashmir and interacted with many delegations including locals living close to the borders of this frontier district.
Rajnath Singh was accompanied by J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Home Secretary, Rajiv Gauba, Joint Secretary Jammu and Kashmir, Gyanesh Kumar, IGP and others.
A top police official told early times that the home minister met local delegations and people living in border areas of the district on the second day of his two-day visit to the state.
He also visited the district police lines and paid tributes to the martyrs of Jammu and Kashmir police force.
However sources said that the two-day visit comes in the midst of multiple issues causing turmoil in the state, such as cross-border firing, ceasefire violation, terrorist infiltration, attacks on security personnel, and stone pelting incidents.
The home minister has given nod for raising two border battalions, two thousand SPO's in police department, two women battalion's in police department, five IRP battalions in which 60% vacancies will be reserved for border area, nursing paramedical college which is under considerations, construction on Sadhna Tunnel has been principally agreed by concerned ministry, the sources said.
A police official from the district said that, before the landing of Home Minister in Kupwara district, there was brief exchange of fire between militants and security forces in Haril village of Langate area in this border district.
From past several days, there was an escalation on borders, security forces foiled many infiltration bids in this north Kashmir district, while as one solider also lost his life after militants attacked patrol party of Karan sector on June 7.
Pertinently the Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Srinagar yesterday and was scheduled to visit Jammu later today. |
