india

Updated: Jul 09, 2019 23:32 IST

The security situation has improved in Jammu and Kashmir and the net militant infiltration has reduced by 43%, minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai said in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He credited “concerted and synergized” efforts of security forces for the improvement in the first half of this year over the corresponding period of 2018.

Rai said the government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards cross-border infiltration. He added the government had adopted a multi-pronged approach to contain it. Rai said the approach includes multi-tiered deployment along the international border and de facto India Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir -- the Line of Control. He added this is backed by border fencing and improved intelligence. Interagency coordination has been fine-tuned and the forces have been equipped with improved weapons, Rai added.

In addition to “zero tolerance to terrorism”, New Delhi has changed track in Kashmir, according to Union ministry officials. In contrast to earlier governments, the Centre is looking at empowering and strengthening local bodies in the state.

The Centre has allocated Rs 3700 crore for the local bodies, the officials said. Of this amount, around Rs 700 crore has been disbursed. “The rest – Rs 3,000 crore – will be disbursed in a phased manner,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

Officials said the new policy was clear when Union home minister Amit Shah visited Kashmir last month. They added instead of meeting representatives of mainstream political parties like the National Conference (NC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Shah met a delegation of newly-elected leaders of local bodies during his visit. “Neither, the PDP nor NC governments conducted the elections to the local bodies,” a second official said on condition of anonymity, “Jammu and Kashmir lost funds allocated for the local bodies because neither party allowed the local bodies to be elected.”

The Centre hopes to bring about a paradigm shift that by engaging and empowering local bodies.

“Financially empowered local bodies carrying out developmental work in the villages will be a welcome change for the people, who have been misled by the leaders,” the second official said, explaining the local term agenda of the Centre.