Sitharaman visits Kashmir to review security ahead of Amarnath yatra

Srinagar: Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, during her daylong visit here on Monday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC) at separate meetings with Governor, N.N. Vohra, and senior Army commanders and officers of police and civil administration.

The security arrangements being put in place for the annual Amarnath yatra were also discussed threadbare at these meetings, the official sources said. The two-month long pilgrimage is commencing through both traditional Pahalgam and shorter Baltal routes on June 28.

Last year, eleven pilgrims were killed in a terror strike in southern Anantnag district. It appears the Centre as well as the State administration with various security forces and agencies are taking extra precautions to ensure no untoward incident takes places during the pilgrimage this year. The series of visits of top functionaries of the Central government including from defence and home ministries, the Army Chief and now Defence Minister to Srinagar ahead of the yatra corroborates the reports about the Centre’s concern.

This was Ms. Sitharaman’s first visit of Jammu and Kashmir following the imposition of Governor’s rule in the restive State in the aftermath of the collapse of PDP-BJP government on June 19.

The official sources here said that the Defence Minister and the Governor reviewed the overall security scenario at a high-level meeting held at the Raj Bhavan. The Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, advisors to the Governor B. B. Vyas and K. Vijay Kumar, J&K’s Chief Secretary B.V. R. Subrahmanyam, Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid, Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, Corps Commander of Srinagar-based 15 (Chinar) Corps Lt. Gen. A.K. Bhat, Additional Secretary (Defence Ministry) Jiwesh Nandan and Principal Secretary to Governor Umang Narula were among others who attended the meeting, the sources said.

Earlier the Defence Minister undertook an aerial recce of the Amarnath yatra route  along the Pahalgam axis and also inspected the arrangements made for pilgrimage at Baltal base-camp, about 100 km north of summer capital Srinagar.

"She reviewed the security framework put in place by the security forces for the Amarnathji yatra and stressed that all security forces must act with complete synergy to achieve effective security on the ground,” an official spokesman said.  He added that while reiterating the importance of a secure environment being maintained for enabling a smooth pilgrimage and encouraging maximum tourist arrivals in the  State,  the Defence Minister “advised the security forces to constantly review and identify any gap in the security arrangements and ensure swift and targeted counter terror responses on the ground”.

The Governor informed her that while “very good coordination” existed between all the security forces operating in the State, the J&K police will continue to review the ground arrangements in the coming days to ensure effective security.

The Defence Minister also visited the Chinar Corps headquarters at Badami Bagh Cantonment here to hold a separate meeting with senior Army commanders to review the overall security situation in the Valley.

A defence spokesman said that Ms. Sitharaman was briefed about the security and administrative arrangements for the Amarnath yatra on ground and subsequently given an update by the Chinar Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Bhat on the latest security scenario in the Valley and also on the counter-infiltration and counterinsurgency operations conducted in the recent past. “She appreciated the effectiveness of the intelligence and operational grids and commended the commanders and troops for the excellent operational successes, which has contributed significantly towards improving the security environment in Kashmir Valley,” the spokesman said.

Earlier on Saturday,   the Army Chief, Gen. Rawat, had closeted with Governor Mr. Vohra at Raj Bhavan here to discuss the situation prevailing along the borders with Pakistan and in the hinterland in the backdrop of increasing activities of separatist militants. Gen. Rawat also visited various areas along the LoC in Baramulla and Kupwara districts to meet the local Army commanders and soldiers to acquaint himself of the situation prevailing along the de facto border.