Srinagar, Feb 7: The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, on Tuesday said that the security situation has “improved significantly” in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Government has a policy of zero tolerance against (militancy) and the security situation has improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir,” Minister of State, MHA Nityanand Rai said while responding to a written query by MP Thirunavukkarasar Su in Lok Sahba.
The Congress MP had sought to know whether a number of people including civilians and army personnel were killed and injured in Jammu and Kashmir in the recent militant attacks.
Rai said as many as 30 civilians and 31 security personnel were killed and 221 others injured in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022.
A total of 41 civilians and 42 security personnel were killed and 192 others were injured in 2021, he said. Seven civilians and 23 others were injured in the first month of 2023, Rai said as per the reply.
He said various measures have been taken by the Government to protect the lives of the civilians in Jammu and Kashmir and among others it includes round-the-clock nakas at strategic points; Group security in the form of static guards, intensified Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) to effectively deal with the challenges posed by terrorist organizations and sharing of intelligence inputs on a real-time basis, amongst all security forces, operating in Jammu and Kashmir as well as day & night area domination.
Besides, Rai said, security arrangements through appropriate deployment and preventive operations involve identifying the strategic supporters of militants and initiating investigations to expose their mechanisms of aiding and abetting militancy is taken.
Other measures include identification of vulnerable spots to prevent militant attacks on civilians and sensitizing men on the ground about the issue and initiation of measures to defeat the machination of militants or their mentors.
To a question by the MP whether the Government is considering to provide special training to village Defence Guards across Jammu and Kashmir in order to enable them to better counter the militant attacks, Rai said, “CRPF has imparted necessary training to 948 Village Defence Guard members in collaboration with District Police Rajouri from 06.01.2023 to 25.01.2023.”
