*Rajnath to review PMDP progress today
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 26: The Centre and State Govern-ments have stepped-up efforts to prevent unrest in ‘Summer 2017’ in Kashmir as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today discussed situation prevailing in the Valley with top brass of para-military forces and Intelligence agencies, his second during past three days, and called an inter-Ministerial meeting in the Union capital tomorrow to review progress on Rs 80,080 crores worth Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) for the State.
Expediting release of funds in the State sector under the PMDP was one of the major issues that had surfaced during Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on April 24.
Sources said Rajnath Singh today discussed certain steps suggested by the Chief Minister to contain unrest and restore peace and normalcy in the Kashmir valley with top officials of security agencies. He had also reviewed security situation in Kashmir on Monday immediately after meeting Mehbooba Mufti.
Sources told the Excelsior that Rajnath discussed the steps proposed by Mehbooba in detail with officials of the Home Ministry and security agencies. He discussed the proposed steps to be taken to ensure “peaceful summer” in the Valley this year, which was main demand of the Chief Minister. The Central Government has also agreed on initiating some of the measures, if not all, proposed by Mehbooba during the meeting.
Sources said the Home Ministry has directed para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which was mainly instrumental in tackling the protests and stone pelting incidents along with Jammu and Kashmir Police, that all possible care should be taken to avoid civilian casualties during the protests.
However, sources said, the security agencies have been conveyed that they should go all out to eliminate militants by launching aggressive operations against them. But, the message was clear that even during the gunbattle due care has to be taken that the civilians were not harmed.
Sources said security officials briefed Rajnath Singh that there was clear Pakistani angle in majority of the protests. They were of the view that protests would definitely come down with imposition of ban on social networking sites as Pakistan army and militant commanders were instigating and motivating the youth from across to join the protests.
It was the Union Home Ministry which had called for ban on about 300 WhatsApp Groups and nearly 10,000 Facebook accounts, which were being run from Pakistan by their army and militant outfits to mobilize youth for stone pelting and lure them into the militancy.
Asserting that tackling summer unrest in the Kashmir valley was high on agenda of the Union Home Ministry, sources said it was in agreement with the State Government that youths had to be reached out by the administration to dissuade them from taking to streets and indulge in stone pelting, which could destroy tourist season in the Kashmir valley and also impact holy pilgrimage to Shri Amarnath ji cave shrine.
“Different steps were under consideration of both Home Ministry as well as Jammu and Kashmir Government for engaging youth to prevent them from hitting the streets every now and then to pelt stones on para-military forces and police, which leads to disturbances and quite often the casualties of youngsters,” sources pointed out.
They said a joint strategy by the Home Ministry and the State Government is being put in place to keep the Valley calm during ‘Summer 2017’ unlike in 2016 when large-scale protests had broken out in the Valley after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen divisional commander Burhan Wani leading to about 85 killings.
Sources admitted that ban on social networking site in the Kashmir valley, which was imposed today by the State Government, was one of the measures suggested by the Union Home Ministry also on the basis of Intelligence based inputs that this mode could become major factor for summer unrest this year like last year.
Disclosing that some more measures were in the offing to maintain peace in the Kashmir valley, sources said the Home Ministry has gathered vital inputs during its discussions with Security Experts, who had earlier worked in Jammu and Kashmir especially the Valley and were well versed with the situation there.
Meanwhile, a high-level inter-ministerial team will tomorrow review implementation of the Rs 80,080 crore development package for Jammu and Kashmir announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 7, 2015.
The State Government has maintained that flow of funds under the PMDP was slow and should be increased.
The Union Home Minister will take stock of the progress of various development initiatives announced for the State which has witnessed unrest in recent times.
The meeting will be attended by representatives from various Central Ministries and departments, sources said.
So far, Rs 17,000 crore has been released to the State Government by the Centre.
Around Rs 40,000 crore out of the Rs 80,000-crore package has been earmarked for improving road infrastructure, including semi-ring roads in Jammu and Srinagar, upgradation of important highways besides others.
An amount of Rs 7,854 crore has been earmarked for flood relief, reconstruction and flood management.
A total of Rs 2,241 crore is meant for promoting tourism by developing new projects and tourist circuits, and setting up of 50 tourist villages.
In addition, Rs 11,708 crore is for power, new and renewable energy. This includes augmentation of power infrastructure and distribution systems, solar power, and small hydro projects.
Rs 4,900 crore has been earmarked for improving health care facilities in the State which includes creation of two AIIMS-like institutions in both major cities of the state, and support for creation of infrastructure in hospitals and primary health centres.
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