*Situation along Pak, China borders reviewed
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 12: Army chief Gen Bikram Singh and other top Commanders of the Army today held a high level review of security scenario along the borders with Pakistan and China in their internal meetings at Northern Command Headquarters of Army at Udhampur and 15 Corps at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar. The Army Commanders also briefed Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about functioning of Security Grid in Jammu and Kashmir and steps being taken by the Army to further strengthen it to counter terror threats.
Gen Singh, who is on a three days last visit of Jammu and Kashmir as he would relinquish the office on July 31, had a high level security review today in two separate meetings at 15 Corps Headquarters in Srinagar this morning and Northern Command Headquarters at Udhampur.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Gen Singh accompanied by GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen DS Hooda and GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at his residence in Srinagar today and apprised them of security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Ladakh and internal areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
They briefed the Governor and the Chief Minister about strengthening of multi agency Security Grid in the State, its functioning and issues related to it including steps needed to make it more effective to meet with any kind of threat from the two neighbours—Pakistan and China.
Sources said Omar called upon the Army Commanders to maintain strict surveillance on the LoC to ensure the level of infiltration of militants to minimum as Assembly elections in the State were due later this year and the militants would make all out attempts to intrude into Jammu and Kashmir to disturb them. The Army Commanders assured the Chief Minister that their troops were on high alert along entire LoC with Pakistan in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region and parts of the Kashmir Valley.
The Army Commanders and the Chief Minister also discussed security situation in hinterland of the State. The Army Commanders gave their view point on the situation including number of militants present in the State and the extent to which they could attempt to disturb the forthcoming Assembly elections.
All three Army Commanders including Gen Bikram Singh later had luncheon meeting with Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar.
“The Governor and the Army chief discussed various important matters related to extremely important role being played by the Northern Army Command in safeguarding territorial integrity and internal security of each of three regions of the State,’’ sources said.
Vohra, who is well versed with the functioning of Gen Bikram Singh when the latter headed 15 Corps of the Army, complimented the Army chief, all officers and men of the Northern Army Command for their exemplary devotion in enforcing close and constant vigil along two militarized frontiers of Jammu and Kashmir, one of which is being perpetually transgressed.
Sources said the Army Commanders gave a detailed briefing to the Governor on situation prevailing along the borders with Pakistan and China and internal areas.
Prior to the meetings with the Governor and the Chief Minister, the Army chief had detailed inter-action with GOC-in-C Northern Command Lt Gen DS Hooda and GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Subrata Saha at 15 Corps Headquarters in Srinagar. Lt Gen Hooda and Lt Gen Saha received the Army chief at Srinagar this morning on his three days visit to the State.
In the afternoon, Gen Singh and Lt Gen Hooda flew to Northern Command Headquarters in Udhampur at around 4 pm. Both of them had one-to-one detailed security review of situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir especially along the borders with Pakistan and China.
Sources said the Army had kept the level of infiltration at zero along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts but there had been reports that about a dozen militants might have managed to infiltrate into the Kashmir Valley from the LoC with Pakistan.
The transgressions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Ladakh have also reduced considerably. Barring one incident of PLA intrusions in Pangong lake in Ladakh, there had been no reports of intrusions by the PLA in Ladakh, they added.
Sources said the Army troops have been asked to maintain high alert all along the LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir following inputs that the militants would make all out attempts to infiltrate into the State before the Assembly elections, which were scheduled to be held in November-December this year.
The Northern Army Command officers hosted farewell dinner for the Army chief tonight.
Sources said Gen Bikram Singh would address the troops at Northern Command Headquarters in Udhampur tomorrow morning and inter-act with the jawans. He would leave for Army Divisions at Rajouri and Akhnoor, where he would meet the top Army officers. In the evening, he would reach Tiger Division of Jammu and address another ‘Sainik Sammelan’ apart from review of other Army activities. He would have night halt at the Tiger Division and return to New Delhi in the morning of July 14.
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