Jammu & Kashmir

The security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved considerably. Terrorist related incidents have come down by 22 per cent  in 2005 as compared to 2004.  Infiltration also dropped by 54 per cent  in 2005, as compared to 2004.

The Government has given a major boost to the peace process. Discussion with Hurriyat and other important secessionist leaders were held at the level of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister also chaired a Round Table Conference, involving leaders of mainstream political parties and representatives of various groups/sections from all regions of Jammu and Kashmir.

In accordance with the announcement of the Prime Minister, construction of 5,242 two-roomed tenements for accommodating Kashmiri migrant families currently living in camps at an estimated expenditure of Rs 185 crore started at Jammu. A sum of Rs 8 crore has been released for construction of 200 two-bedroomed flats for Kashmiri migrants at Budgam. A package, involving an expenditure of Rs 59.18 crore, has been approved for rehabilitation of border migrants from Akhnoor Tehsil and Rs 10 crore has been released as advance.

North-East

During 2005, although the number of incidents increased by 8 per cent , killings of civilians came down by 6 and that of security forces by 37 per cent  as compared to the incidents/killings in 2004. 

The Government has entered into Ceasefire Agreement /Suspension of Operations Agreement/Memorandum of Settlement with various underground outfits of the North Eastern region and has also extended them from time to time in the last two years. Suspension of Operations Agreement was signed with two new militant outfits, viz., National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) of Assam on  May 24, 2005, and Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) of Meghalaya on  July 23, 2004. A Memorandum of Settlement was signed with the National Liberation Front of Tripura (Nayanbasi Group) on  December 17, 2004, for development and capacity building of tribals in Tripura.

A Group of Ministers (GOM) has been holding peace talks with the Issac Muviah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland. Tripartite talks with United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) to discuss their charter of demands are also continuing. Government of India has reiterated its willingness to talk to the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) on all issues. People’s Consultative Group (PCG) of Assam constituted by ULFA has so far held two rounds of talks with Government. 

Naxalism

In order to combat the naxal situation, the Government has constituted a Standing Committee of Chief Ministers of the naxal-affected States under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister.

Financial assistance under the Security Related Expenditure scheme (SRE) to supplement efforts of the naxal-affected States, has been extended for another five years.

POTA

The Government repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), 2002, in September, 2004, and also amended the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, incorporating certain provisions considered necessary to deal with various facets of terrorism.

Police Modernisation

In September, 2005, the Government took the initiative to enhance Central allocation under the Scheme for Modernisation of the State Police Forces to Rs.1,645 crore, with focus on States affected by militancy, left wing extremism, etc. Jammu & Kashmir and the seven North-eastern States will get 100 per cent  central assistance for scheme outlays and the remaining states 75 per cent.

In February, 2006, the Cabinet approved the introduction of a Police Modernisation Scheme in UTs for five years starting from 2006-07 with fund allocation of Rs. 884 crore. The scheme        will cover communication equipment, computerisation, strengthening of Forensic Science Labs, modern weapons, new police station buildings and police housing, etc. 

Major initiatives have been taken to bring about police reforms. A Committee has been constituted to draft a new Police Act to replace the Police Act of 1861 in view of the changing role/responsibility of Police and the challenges before it, especially on account of the growth and spread of insurgency, militancy, naxalism, etc..

Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, enacted in 2005, has come into force. It provides for regulation of Indian as well as foreign private agencies operating in the country.

Additional Battalions and Recruitment

Approval has been accorded in 2005-06, for raising 25 India Reserve Battalions under a revised financing pattern. During the period 2004-05 and 2005-06, 23 India Reserve Battalions were sanctioned to the States.  Of these, 10 battalions have been sanctioned under the revised scheme which provides for 75 per cent  of the standard raising cost of Rs.17 crore to be reimbursed by the Central Government as Grant-in-aid. In addition, the Government of India will also reimburse 50 per cent of the infrastructure cost subject to a maximum of Rs.8 crore.  

Out of the 209 battalions approved by the Government  in the year 2000, under a five year raising plan, 15 battalions of CRPF were sanctioned in the year 2004-05, and the raising of these battalions has been completed.

In addition,  the Government  approved 20 battalions for the Sashastra Seema Bal in the year 2005-06, out of which 13 battalions were raised in the year 2005-06, and the raising of the remaining 7 battalions is in progress. 

The recruitment scheme of Constables in Central Police Forces was revised on January 18, 2005,  under which 20 per cent  of vacancies in the Border Guarding Forces (BSF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles) and 40 per cent  in other forces will be allotted to militancy affected areas i.e. J&K, North Eastern States and Naxal affected areas.

Under the Reconstruction Plan of J&K, announced by the Prime Minister, CRPF and SSB have already conducted a special drive in 2005 for recruitment of 3400 and 1600 personnel, respectively, from J&K. 

Border Management

A Coastal Security Scheme is under implementation for giving focused attention to secure the country’s coasts against illegal activities of anti- national and criminal elements.  Coastal Police Stations, adequately equipped with boats and vehicles, are being set up in 9 coastal States and 4 Union Territories along the coastline.

The Government has accorded top priority to the work of erection of fencing on the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pakistan borders with a view to containing infiltration, smuggling and other anti-India activities from across these borders.  During the last two years, fencing in a stretch of 800 Kms along the Indo-Bangladesh border has been erected.  Fencing in a stretch of 169 Kms and 74 Kms has been erected in Gujarat and Jammu sectors along the Indo-Pakistan border.

Communal Violence

The communal situation in the country remained, by and large, under control during recent years. Although the number of incidents increased from 677 in 2004, to 779 in 2005, the total number of persons killed came down from 134 to 124 during this period.

The Communal Violence (Prevention, Control & Rehabilitation of victims) Bill, 2005, has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill incorporates measures for prevention of acts leading to communal violence, enhanced punishment for communal violence and certain other offences, speedy investigation and trial of offences through special courts and institutional arrangements for relief, rehabilitation and compensation.

National Integration Council

The first meeting of the reconstituted National Integration Council (NIC) was held in New Delhi on  August 31, 2005. The Council last met in 1992.

Inter State Council

The Ninth meeting of the Inter-State Council held in New Delhi on  June 28, 2005, considered the “Blue print of Action Plan on Good Governance", prepared by the Inter-State Council Secretariat.

Zonal Councils

Meetings of the western, central, eastern, southern and northern zonal councils were held in 2005, after a gap of 8 to 14 years.

Disaster Management

The Disaster Management Bill was passed by Parliament in December 2005. Salient features of the legislation include setting up of a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, State Disaster Management Authorities in the States/Union Territories under the chairmanship of Chief Minister or Lt. Governor or Administrator, as the case may be; and the District Disaster Management Authority under the District Magistrate in each district. NDMA became functional from September 28, 2005.

The year 2005 witnessed several natural calamities, viz heavy snowfalls and avalanches in Jammu & Kashmir, breach in artificial lake on river Parechu, which triggered flash floods in Himachal Pradesh, severe floods in the States of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry,  and a severe earthquake of an intensity of 7.4 on the Richter scale in Jammu & Kashmir. The Government of India immediately reinforced the efforts of the affected States/UT by providing them the requisite logistic and financial support to enable them to deal effectively with the disaster situations. An amount of Rs. 2,808.04 crore was released to the States as Central share of the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) for 2005-06.  In addition, an amount of Rs. 3,140.22 crore had been provided from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) to the States severely affected by natural calamities during 2005, for immediate relief and rescue operations. An amount of Rs.242.95 crore has also been approved towards procurement of relief material and construction of temporary shelters by various Central  agencies of the Government  in the earthquake affected areas on Jammu & Kashmir.

The National Disaster Response Force has been constituted comprising 8 battalions of Central Para Military Forces for the purpose of specialist response to any disaster situation. There will be 144 Specialist Response Teams in the eight battalions, which are being trained and equipped for responding to the natural disasters. Four of these eight battalions are also being trained and equipped for responding to nuclear, biological and chemical emergencies.

Soon after the Tsunami struck the A&N Islands on December 26, 2004, the Government  launched a massive relief and rehabilitation programme.  For the purpose of funding this relief programme, the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation package was announced in January 2005, with an outlay of Rs. 821 crore. Assistance of Rs.155 crore was also announced for the UT of Pondicherry. 

In the aftermath of the devastation caused by the Tsunami in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the Ministry of Home Affairs organised construction of 9,565 intermediate shelters for the affected families.  The construction was completed in a record time of two months and well before the onset of Monsoon. 

In December, 2005, the Government approved a long term reconstruction programme for restoring the infrastructure and livelihood in A&N Islands.  This long-term reconstruction programme has a total outlay of Rs. 2,676.91 crore.  As part of the long term reconstruction programme, it is proposed to provide 9,714 permanent shelters for the tsunami victims.

A World Bank Assisted Project, for providing permanent shelters and livelihood programmes for the tsunami affected people of Pondicherry is under implementation.  This project has an outlay of Rs. 158 crore.  It is envisaged that 8,125 permanent houses will be built in Pondicherry. 

Overseas Citizenship of India

Scheme for granting Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) to persons of India origin was made operational from  December 2, 2005.

Various visa procedures, specially those relating to students, medical tourists and residents of Auroville, have been simplified to make them user-friendly and address security concerns.

Other Initiatives

Ø       Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service started on  March 24, 2006;

Ø       Bus service from Lahore to Amritsar was launched on  January 20, 2006;

Ø       Bus service from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad started as scheduled on April 7, 2005,   despite threats from militants.

Ø       Munabao-Khokrapar rail link between India and Pakistan, was operationalised on  February 18, 2006.

Ø       The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act,2005, provides for toning up the investigative machinery and tacking the problem of undertrials, etc. Provisions of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act,2005 include introduction of the concept of plea bargaining.

Ø       Tamil has been declared a classical language. A software for learning Hindi through English, Bangla, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu was launched.

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