Security situation in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an improvement and the net infiltration from across the border has reduced by 43 per cent after a surgical strike was carried out on militant camps in Pakistan, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Rai’s remarks came in response to a written question onwhether cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir has abated after theIndian Air Force carried out surgical strike on militant camps in Balakot inPakistan in February this year.
“Due to concerted and synergised efforts of securityforces, the security situation in the state has witnessed an improvement in thefirst half of this year over the corresponding period of 2018. Net infiltrationhas reduced by 43 per cent,” he said.
Rai said the government of India in tandem with the stategovernment has adopted a multi-pronged approach to contain cross-borderinfiltration, which includes multi-tiered deployment along the InternationalBorder and the Line of Control (LoC), border fencing, improved intelligence andoperational coordination, equipping security forces with improved technologicalweapons and taking pro-active action against infiltrators.
Replying another question, the minister said the electricfence namely the Anti Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS) on LoC along Indo-Pakborder has proved to be a potent tool to guard against infiltration.
The electricity requirements for the AIOS are being cateredthrough power grid wherever available and through generators at other locationsto ensure uninterrupted power supply, he said. About the status of fencing along Indo-Pakistanborder, the Minister said the government has sanctioned the fencing of2,069.046 km, out of which the fencing of 2,004.666 km has been completed andwork is in progress on the remaining 64.38 km and will be completed by March2020.