Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 16: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved Rs 120 crores for purchase of two full body scanners for installation at two cross-LoC points along Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad routes to put a complete halt on the smuggling of weapons, narcotics and other undesirable items from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Official sources told the Excelsior that the MHA has decided to purchase the full body scanners, each costing Rs 60 crores, from the international firms to plug the leakages effectively and give no chance to undesirable elements to indulge in smuggling.
Union Home Secretary LC Goyal along with high level delegation of the MHA that comprised Joint Secretary Jammu and Kashmir and Joint Secretary Border Management had visited the State for three days from April 9 to 11 during which apart from security review they had visited Salamabad on Uri-Muzaffarabad route to discuss measures to boost cross-LoC trade and installation of whole body scanners at both the routes.
Goyal has submitted his report to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Sources said the MHA has approved Rs 120 crores for purchase of full body scanners for installation at Chakan-Da-Bagh on Poonch-Rawlakote route and Salamabad on Uri-Muzaffarabad route. The MHA will be purchasing these two full body scanners from the international firms by floating global tenders and install them at the cross-LoC routes at the earliest.
“The process for purchase of full body scanners has been set into motion and the deal would be struck shortly after which the process for installation will begin. The sites for installation of the scanners at both the places have been identified,” sources said.
The installation of fully body scanners on the two cross-LoC routes was necessitated in view of smuggling of arms and narcotics under the garb of trade by some unscrupulous elements. The full body scanners can scan the entire truck and detect any unwanted items being brought in the trucks, sources said, adding that they would go a long way in preventing the smuggling, which had led to standoff on Uri-Muzaffarabad route few days back and suspension of trade for some days after narcotics were seized from a truck that had come from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sources said the MHA would be directly purchasing the full body scanners on its own by paying the full cost and install them on the cross-LoC routes. All trucks coming from PoK would have to pass through the scanners.
The cross-LoC bus coming from PoK would also go through the scanners, which would help the authorities to detect any undesirable item being smuggled by the people from PoK visiting this side through the bus.
The cross-LoC trade is presently confined to four days a week while cross-LoC travel takes place once a week on both Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad routes.
The Union Home Secretary during his visit had reviewed security arrangements on the two cross-LoC routes and measures required to boost trade and travel on both the sides.
Sources said apart from Poonch-Rawlakote and Uri-Muzaffarabad, the Ministry of Home Affairs has also given its nod to installation of full body scanner at Attari on Wagah border in Punjab, where trade takes place between Indian and Pakistan while trade on two cross-LoC routes in Poonch and Uri is confined between traders of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
Trade on Attari was also going on through manual frisking so far.
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