CRPF to Maintain Jammu-Srinagar National Highway

For the first time in 20 years, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will take control of opening of roads on Jammu-Srinagar national highway-1A from Army, reported Hindustan Times.

It may be mentioned that the step is meant for reducing visibility of army so that it could set its focus on anti-terrorism operations.

Defence Minister AK Antony gave instruction to free Army from maintaining the opening of roads on the Highway during unified command meeting in Jammu on Tuesday, report said.

Army was maintaining the highway for past 20 years, the time since militancy broke out in the valley in 1989 and government had to call army as counter insurgency tool.

Now, at present the main focus of army is to counter terrorism and minimise the role of army in other local issues of the state, said report.

After freeing army from maintaining security of city, putting CRPF in opening of roads replacing army is being seen as a good move to minimize the load of army in the state.

This move of government has proved the point that security situation in the state has improved and now it is the responsibility of police force to take the control, report said.

During the unified command meeting, Antony said that with the improvement in the security situation, time has now come for the state police to be given far greater responsibility, particularly in major towns in tackling the threat of terrorism in the state. However, ‘the handing over of the responsibility must be meticulously planned and undertaken in a gradual, phased manner’, he said.