Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 5: Security scenario for 10 districts of Jammu region in the upcoming five phase Assembly elections came up for a high level review in a meeting of the Core Security Group held at 16 Corps Headquarters at Nagrota this afternoon.
Five phase Assembly elections will start on November 25 and conclude on December 20.
Top officers of almost all security and intelligence agencies discussed threadbare the security arrangements required for holding free, fair and smooth elections in Jammu and Kashmir by thwarting designs of militants, who could try to disrupt the polling process.
The Core Security Group meeting took stock of the prevailing security situation in south of Pir Panjal in the 10 districts of Jammu region for the upcoming Assembly polls, official sources said.
The meeting was co-chaired by General Officer Commanding, 16 Corps, Lt Gen KH Singh, and Director General of Police, K Rajendra Kumar.
Sources said that the meeting was also attended by Additional Director General (Armed Police) S M Sahai, Commissioner Special Branch Abhjit Halder, Inspector General CRPF (Jammu Zone) Kuldip Dhar, Inspector General BSF (Jammu Zone) Rakesh Sharma and IGP Jammu Rajesh Kumar besides other top Army, police officers and officers from other security and intelligence agencies.
“A joint strategy was chalked out in great details between all the agencies to ensure peace and stability in the region and ensure incident-free forth coming Assembly elections in the State,” sources said.
He said that the General Officer Commanding, 16 Corps appreciated the high levels of synergy in operations exhibited by all agencies in recent times. He encouraged all present to overcome contemporary challenges and work towards enhancing confidence among people.
“The General emphasised the requirement to be vigilant and responsive to the developing situation and maintain peace and ensure a peaceful and conducive environment. He stressed that elections are a most democratic process for our citizens and us and we should together work to ensure the same is exercised free of fear by all,” sources said.
The Director General Police K Rajendra Kumar appreciated the Army’s pivotal role in bringing normalcy in the state and exhorted all present for a synergized and intelligent application of security forces and its agencies to ensure incident free elections.
Lt Gen K H Singh stated that the Army and its various formations deployed south of Pir Panjal have been most proactively and aggressively dominating the Line of Control and the hinterland thereby assuring a peaceful and secure environment in the area.
“He stated that the Army is ready to face any challenges that may emerge in the future and is ready to counter it with all its might. We are fully aware of the importance of elections and we are fully geared up to provide a secure umbrella during the process,” sources said.
The Core Group also discussed reports of the intelligence agencies about plots of the militants to create disturbances before and during the Assembly elections and measures required to thwart them. The Core Group also discussed situation prevailing on the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) and steps required to ensure that no infiltrators managed to sneak into this side.
The Group, however, noted with satisfaction the situation on LoC and IB, where Army and BSF have so far foiled all major infiltration attempts by the militants on the border. Army and BSF were maintaining high alert on LoC and IB following reports that some militants could try to make more attempts to sneak into this side to sabotage ongoing electoral process.
It may be mentioned here that a similar Core Group meeting was recently held in 15 Corps Headquarters at Srinagar in which security arrangements for elections were discussed threadbare.
Sources said the Core Group took several decisions to intensify security arrangements in general areas and borders especially sensitive and militancy infested districts to ensure violence free polling in the region.
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