M A I N   N E W S

AFSPA to go from some areas soon: Omar
Ehsan Fazili/TNS

Srinagar, October 21
The J&K government has decided to lift the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the next few days from some areas of the state in view of a gradual improvement in the security situation.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said this while addressing a Police Commemoration Day function at Zewan near here today. “With the gradual improvement in the security situation and return of peace, some laws (AFSPA) are being removed from some areas within the next few days,” Omar said.

He added that the return of peace had paved the way for this step and these laws would be revoked from all parts of the state as peace and tranquility get restoration there as well.

Omar, however, played down the apprehensions over the maintenance of security in these areas by the J&K police after the removal of AFSPA.

“The return of peace is due to the sacrifices of the J&K police along with other forces,” he said adding that the state police was capable of maintaining peace.

Paying tributes to police martyrs, the Chief Minister said that their sacrifices would always be remembered. Wreaths were laid on the memorial of the martyrs on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Director General Police Kuldeep Khuda said that during the past nine months, more than Rs 7.5 crore were provided to the next of kin of martyrs as special welfare relief while Rs 75 lakh have been provided in the form of ex-gratia. Around Rs 25 lakh have been distributed as scholarships to the children of martyrs.

He said that Rs 73.25 lakh have been provided as loan in favour of 202 police personnel while the injured SPOs have been given Rs 1 lakh each. He said that as many as 669 police jobs has been provided to the next of kin of police martyrs.