Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 9: In a major relief to the commuters on the National Highway (NH-44), the Additional Director General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar today said that no civilian traffic would be stopped on the highway during the movement of the VVIPs.
Kumar chaired a high-level meeting with the officers of Police, security forces and other intelligence agencies in Anantnag district to review the security of National Highway and SOPs being followed by security forces during convoy movement.
The meeting decided that no civil traffic will be stopped on the highway during VVIPs or senior officers movement as an immediate measure and also to suggest additional measures for smooth flow of civilian traffic in a phase manner.
It may be mentioned here that halting of traffic on the NH-44 was causing huge inconvenience to the commuters and was also leading to traffic jams.
“The officers participating in the meeting were also advised to conduct joint survey and prepare SOPs to facilitate the free flow of traffic without compromising the security of Convoys in a phased manner,” a Police spokesman said.
“This new SPs would be submitted to higher ups for further approval. Besides, special focus is given to lateral entries on National Highway and additional security men may be deployed on laterals. In order to maintain smooth flow of vehicles, ADGP Kashmir urged Traffic police to deploy additional manpower on important/busy laterals,” the spokesman added.
“All district SsP were also instructed to generate specific inputs and launch anti terrorist operations along the sides of NHW and take legal actions against OGWs operating in these areas,” the spokesman said.
Kumar advised all the participating officers to conduct a joint survey of NHW on convoy movement in their AOR and recommend some changes where and if possible, to modify the SOPs in order to maintain a smooth flow of civilian traffic during convoy movements without unnecessary hindrance.
During the meeting, ADGP Kashmir advised the SSPs and other officers to identify the spots on National Highway where engineering intervention is required in raising heights of dividers, direct lateral entries and U-turn on National Highway.
They were also advised to identify the spots where service lane is required and also send joint recommendation where underpass or over pass are required to maintain the smooth flow of traffic on National Highway.
ADGP directed the district heads to identify the spots where additional CCTVs can be installed. He further directed them to employ SHOs/SDPOs on NHW during convoy movement at vulnerable spots.
The officers were also stressed by ADGP Kashmir to discourage the illegal construction and also to assist civil administration and national highways authority to remove such illegal structures on National Highway.
The meeting was attended by GOC Victor Force, IG Traffic, Army’s Sector Commander 1st, DIG Police South Kashmir, DIG BSF, DIG SSB, DIG CRPF Awantipora, DIG CRPF Anantnag, DIG BSF, DDIB, Additional Commander SB, SSPs of Anantnag, Kulgam districts, SP Awantipora, SP Cargo.
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