Security situation has improved in J&K: Shinde

New Delhi, Aug 1: Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said that there is considerable improvement in security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. While there is decline in the number of militancy related incidents this year till June as compared to previous year, there has been an increase in the casualties of security forces as well as the civilians.

Talking to media-persons here on Thursday, he said Army and the security forces had registered major success against militants.

Regarding the ongoing Amarnath yatra, he said that 90 additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed to ensure incident free pilgrimage. Around 3.07 lakh pilgrims have visited the Holy Shrine up to 23.07.2013.

Elaborating on special scheme launched by the Centre to generate employment in the state, he said the Home Ministry has launched a scheme ‘UDDAN’ under which 35 leading corporates have become partners with National Skill Development Corporation to train more than 54,000 youth from the state over next five years. The ‘UDDAN’ partners include leading PSUs such as NTPC, BHEL, BSNL, ONGC, HAL and Canara Bank.

Corporate entities such as Wipro, TCS, HCL Technologies, Infosys, Bajaj Allianz, CMC, Cognizant, Yes Bank, Future Learning, IL &FS, CII, Edusports, Religare, Accenture, Tata Motors, etc are also participating in this initiative. Under ‘UDAAN’ training of 382 candidates have been completed, out of which 185 have been offered job and the remaining candidates are under placement process.  During last quarter, 18 corporates made 32 visits to the state and selected 1305 candidates for training.

Shinde said that cash relief to eligible Kashmiri migrants staying in Jammu and Delhi was also enhanced from Rs. 1250/- per head per month (maximum of Rs. 5000/- per family) to Rs. 1650/- per head per month (maximum of Rs. 6600/- per family) retrospectively from 1st July 2012.

The Home Ministry has also revised the guidelines for ‘Surrender-cum Rehabilitation Scheme of Left Wing Extremists in the affected States’ with effect from 1 April, 2013. The Rehabilitation package in the revised policy now includes an immediate grant of Rs. 2.5 lakh for higher ranked LWE cadre and Rs. 1.5 lakh for middle / lower ranked LWE cadre who surrender before the State Government concerned. Also, those who surrender would be provided a monthly stipend of Rs. 4000/- for a period of three years for vocational training. In addition, incentives for surrender of weapons / ammunition etc. are also provided under the said Scheme.

Tighten security ahead of Eid: Centre to States

The Centre has asked all States to tighten security in sensitive places as communal elements may try to create trouble ahead of Eid.

"We have told all States to be alert, to be careful. The communal forces may create trouble," Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said here.

He was replying to a question whether the Home Ministry has sent any advisory to States ahead of the festival.

Asked whether he had taken steps for release of jailed Muslim youth accused of terror charges, the Home Minister said he had ordered gathering of information about such youth. "We are getting information...How many of them are in judicial custody, how many are in police custody, where are they etc., etc. We are working on it," he said.

Asked whether he had got information whether Ishrat Jahan, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004, was a terrorist, Shinde said he had sought more information about Ishrat as he was not satisfied with the documents he had received so far.

On the reported difference between CBI, which is probing the Ishrat encounter killing case, and Intelligence Bureau, whose one of the officers was allegedly involved in the case, the Home Minister said both CBI and IB were doing their own job. "There is no difference. They are working cordially. No one is sad," he said. Shinde said government has decided to provide CISF security to Bodh Gaya, being a heritage as well as religious site and a national monument, which had been recently hit by a series of blasts.

Source: http://www.greaterkashmir.com/