J&K governor chairs security meeting

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra Tuesday stressed the need for close and effective coordination among all the security forces and intelligence agencies to maintain peace and order in the state.

Chairing the first meeting of the top security grid - the Unified Headquarters - after he took over the reins of governance following imposition of the governor's rule, Vohra said peace is imperative for growth and development and all agencies involved in maintaining the rule of law have to play an important role.

The meeting was held at the civil secretariat in the state's winter capital here.

The meeting was attended by GOC-in-C of the army's Northern Command, chief secretary, director general of police, home secretary, corps commanders, inspectors general of the BSF and CRPF and senior officers of the central intelligence agencies, among others.

The meeting deliberated on various important issues relating to the internal and external security situation in the state.

Officers representing the different agencies briefed the meeting about the measures taken on different fronts to safeguard the frontiers and maintain internal order.

An official statement said Vohra expressed satisfaction over security management in the past year, despite continuing challenges on many fronts.

He complimented the security forces and intelligence agencies for achieving a very high-level of convergence on the anti-militancy front and observed that joint efforts of the agencies had resulted in neutralising the inimical elements and enabled a high voter turnout in the recent concluded assembly polls.

The meeting reviewed security situation in the border areas - along the international border and the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control - and analysed issues relating to cross border movements and infiltration attempts across the border.

In this context, the governor called upon the civil and police administration and the security forces to ensure continued close coordination and timely measures for the security of civil population in the frontier belts.

While reviewing the conduct of anti-militancy operations, Vohra stressed the vital importance of ensuring against collateral damage to the civil population and emphasised the use of increased application of technology to further improve the capability of security agencies.

The governor suggested that meetings of the Unified Headquarters should be held at least on quarterly basis and issues of a complex nature may be deliberated upon by establishing one or more sub-groups from among its members.

Vohra appreciated the collective efforts of the civil administration and the various security forces for rescue and relief operations during last year's floods in the state.

"It was due to their joint and dedicated efforts that loss of human lives was minimised, despite the devastating floods," he said.