As tension prevailed in Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today held a high-level meeting with top police and intelligence officials of the state here to review the situation and directed that no harm should come to civilians while dealing with law and order issues.
Mehbooba, who arrived here from Delhi after a three-day visit, will be camping in the Summer capital of the state to monitor the law and order situation "as long as necessary", official sources said.
Soon after arrival here, she met top police and intelligence officials of the state including Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar at her official residence.
"The Chief Minister directed the police officials to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and ensure that civilians are not harmed while dealing with law and order situations," official sources said.
The security review meeting was held in the wake of tense situation prevailing in the Valley since Tuesday when three persons including a woman were killed in firing by security forces during protests against alleged molestation of a college girl in Handwara town of Kupwara district.
Another youth died yesterday when he was hit by a teargas shell in the head in Drugmulla area of Kupwara district as protests spread to many areas of the north Kashmir district, forcing the authorities to impose curfew-like restrictions.
Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir Asgar Hassan Samoon also reviewed law and order situation in the Valley following the Handwara incident.
The meeting was attended by DIG, Central Range (Kashmir) G H Bhat, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Lone and other Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir division through video conferencing, an official spokesman said.
He said the Deputy Commissioners told Samoon that situation is peaceful overall and the necessary deployment of forces has been made at sensitive places.
The Divisional Commissioner asked Deputy Commissioner Kupwara to carry out time-bound probe into the Handwara incident.
Samoon, while stressing the need for maintaining vigil, directed the police officials to strictly adhere to standard operating procedures in their respective districts and ensure that there is no loss of life or property during law and order situations.
He also directed officials to remain present at their offices and maintain close liaison with the police.
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Advising the engineers and planners to incorporate all the safety precautions in the works that they would be taking up under the project, Mehbooba said Jammu and Kashmir is a high seismic zone and prone to natural disasters like floods and cloudbursts and advised the experts to factor in this while going for the constructions.
She also flagged sectors like education and health care where she desired to have a world class infrastructure.
The Chief Minister said she intends Jammu and Kashmir to have a quality infrastructure in education so that it becomes a world class hub of education.
On the clean environment in the State, Mehbooba said the State qualifies to be developed as a place for medical tourism.
She hoped under the projects quality medical infrastructure would be raised which would not only provide better facilities to patients of the State but also persuade patients from outside to come for treatment here, thereby contributing to the State's economy substantially.
She said with the setting up of five new medical colleges, some nursing colleges and paramedic institutes health infrastructure in the State would be upgraded substantially.
Referring to recent unfortunate incidents in the State during the past four months, Mehbooba said she is deeply hurt with the killing of young boys, injuries to people and also due to the loss of precious academic time of the young generation which is among the irreparable losses.
"The youth of Jammu and Kashmir have shown their talent time and again but the only thing is of opportunity and exposure.
Be it the youngest woman pilot from Baramulla, topper of BSF officers exam from Udhampur or many of the young boys and girls who cracked the prestigious all India civil services examinations, they all have made us proud , she said.
Observing that the State is very fertile in producing genius, the Chief Minister, however, advised the youth to channelise their energies positively so that they are able to provide relief to the citizens of the State who have suffered due to neglect and insincerity during the past 70 years.
She asked who in the country and outside did not have a word of praise for the youth of the Valley during 2014 floods when they rescued not only the locals but even outsiders, tourists and even members of security forces.
Mehbooba said people of the State are very simple, hospitable and peace loving but unfortunately a monster has been created out of them, partly by some "vested political elements and partly by some news channels to boost their TRP ratings".
