400 more companies for security: Chief Secy

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 25

In the backdrop of the recent killings of policemen and the overall security scenario in south Kashmir, the state administration has said adequate security arrangements were in place for the smooth conduct of the municipal and panchayat elections.

Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said adequate security arrangements were made for the staff, candidates and the overall election process. “We have made adequate, good security arrangements on an unprecedented scale,” the Chief Secretary told reporters here on Tuesday.

“For this purpose, 400 additional companies of the Central forces are being deployed, apart from the security forces operating in the state,” Subrahmanyam said.

The Chief Secretary said the security problem was mainly in some areas of south Kashmir comprising four districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian. He said the situation in other parts of the Valley was normal even as “militancy is there” and there was a good response from the candidates for participation in the municipal elections.

At least, 700 nomination forms have been issued for the first phase of the municipal elections. The security arrangements have been made available for the candidates on demand, the Chief Secretary said.

He said 300 hotel rooms had been made available for the accommodation of candidates in Srinagar and other major towns of the Kashmir valley.

In an unprecedented move, “despite a lot of pressures”, the government employees engaged on election duty would be getting one month’s extra salary, the Chief Secretary announced.

He said all arrangements had been made for the safety, security and accommodation of the employees engaged on poll duty during the municipal and panchayat elections.

Subrahmanyam pointed out that each panchayat, when constituted, would be getting at least Rs 22 lakh annually for the developmental works in their areas. He said with no municipal and panchayat bodies in place, the state had suffered heavy financial losses.

“The elections are all about ‘sadak’, ‘pani’ and ‘bijli’ at the local levels and the representatives will be going back to their people to redress their problems and the issues of development in the areas,” the Chief Secretary said. He said the block panchayat elections would be conducted for constituting the block development councils in January next year after the panchayat elections are completed in November-December.